I was standing by the side of the road in Nyuh Kuning - a suburb of Ubud - on the way to a friend's house. There were two dogs in the vicinity: one a mix breed black monster of a dog, and another smaller white yappy dog running around the road. It was a normal happy day.
Dogs in Bali are generally seen as a bit of a nuisance and there are dozens of strays that line the streets of the island. As such, most of them have developed a skill for dodging traffic, but tame pet dogs generally have a less "street-wise" sense.
As I walked down the street, the white dog ran between my legs, tongue lolling out of mouth and ran back across the road. At the same time I heard two sharp beeps on the horn of a car and an angry shout from the driver. There was no sound of screeching brakes - Just a thud and the helpless yelping of the dog.
The car did not stop, nor did it slow down. Instead the driver chose to continue along the road without a second glance at the life that he had just taken.
That day I saw a dog dying. That day I saw - in real life - the transition from a perfectly healthy animal to nothing more than a carcass. I was shocked - both at what I had just seen, and at the lack of conscience from the driver of the van.
The dog ran around coughing up blood before falling on it's side with fading ragged breath. Its owners came out and surrounded the animal. I looked at the body that had been completely alive a few minutes ago.
I remember thinking about how quickly life could be taken away, and how it's not just the case for animals, but for people too. Life is such a precious gift given to us by our creator, and one to be used well and wisely. And yet, death is also a part of life that has to be accepted by everyone.
Too many times, people waste the gift that they're given.
It's not just in Bali that lives are lost so suddenly. We all know that Australia has too many motor vehicle related deaths - almost 1300 last year. This is a call to drive safer and be more wary on our roads.
Oftentimes it's the harshest and most confronting experiences that leave the deepest impressions. There is no substitute for the life that we are given, it is something that we should always be thankful for and not take for granted.
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