Bumpy Roads
I hold the belief that if the road of life were entirely smooth we would get bored and veer off of it. We would certainly drive even faster than we do now. Even less attention would be paid to the landscape.
I hold the belief that if the road of life were entirely smooth we would get bored and veer off of it. We would certainly drive even faster than we do now. Even less attention would be paid to the landscape.
Those little imperfections, twists and turns, occasional potholes- all serve to teach us to slow down, look around, pay attention and take in the world around us.
Today was a somewhat bumpy stretch of road. We were without power for about eleven hours, beginning at ten PM last evening. A scheduled outage to do maintenance on the substation that serves the area where I live. OK. So, oil lamps and candles out, new batteries in the radio and flashlights. Extra blanket on the beds. Good to go.
All went well until the dawn. The first bump of the day- the outage was scheduled to end by six in the morning. When the power had still not returned by eight- I called that automated ‘help’ line. Hmm. Seems that sometime during the night a series of accidents in the central part of town had taken out two more substations. Thus- the majority of the whole town was without power.
So, I lit the stove manually, kept the oil lamps burning, and boiled some coffee. Made toast in the skillet. Disconnected the automatic garage door opener and backed the car out on the driveway. No big deal.
Took a drive to see if the site of one of my part-time jobs had power. Another bump. As I was approaching the freeway on-ramp, a car came up behind me- just roaring down the road. He flew by me, lost control and ended up in somebody’s front yard. A CHP (California Highway Patrol) SUV was on his tail- so he passed me by, pulled his vehicle In front of the first and stopped.
No injuries, police on scene, so I continued on. Got to building- no power, so I turned around to head home. I don’t know about you, but when I was learning to drive, I was taught that if an intersection’s traffic control lights were out- you treat it as a four-way stop and proceed on.
Apparently since I got my license when dinosaurs’ roamed the Earth- the other drivers at the intersection were not taught that same lesson, so they elected to not slow down, nor stop. So, that was a little bumpy.
Back on the freeway home (not a long drive- just one exit away) a beautiful white-tailed doe miscalculated her chances of getting across the road and lost a confrontation with a truck. He was able to get his truck stopped and out of the lanes of traffic. I was assured that my four-wheel anti-lock brakes work. Really well.
Turning onto my street- Mama Quail and her babies were out for a morning stroll, and disinclined to walk at more than a snail’s pace. Another test of the brakes- passed that one too.
If not for these bumps I would never have seen the hot pink and deep red cyclamen in bloom in the yard of the person who got a new lawn ornament in the form of a Dodge Durango.
I would never seen the sad and bittersweet sight of a beautiful creature leaping on delicate legs and tiny hooves; it’s rich caramel colored fur and huge brown eyes the stuff of stories. I hope that it left this world quickly and was already in the great meadow of the sky by the time the driver of the truck was able to get to it.
I never would have seen another mother shepherding her chicks across the street- at her own pace. No doubt admonishing them ‘slow down, don’t run, pay attention to where you’re going!’
I would not have savored the true sounds of silence, and renewed my love of that. I would not have breathed in the scent of burning lamp oil and bread toasting in a skillet. I reaffirmed my self confidence in being able to move along the road sans some modern conveniences.
I have always believed that taking the hard path rather than the easy one makes a person appreciate what they have, and in turn, the world around them. I think today proved that.
Today was a somewhat bumpy stretch of road. We were without power for about eleven hours, beginning at ten PM last evening. A scheduled outage to do maintenance on the substation that serves the area where I live. OK. So, oil lamps and candles out, new batteries in the radio and flashlights. Extra blanket on the beds. Good to go.
All went well until the dawn. The first bump of the day- the outage was scheduled to end by six in the morning. When the power had still not returned by eight- I called that automated ‘help’ line. Hmm. Seems that sometime during the night a series of accidents in the central part of town had taken out two more substations. Thus- the majority of the whole town was without power.
So, I lit the stove manually, kept the oil lamps burning, and boiled some coffee. Made toast in the skillet. Disconnected the automatic garage door opener and backed the car out on the driveway. No big deal.
Took a drive to see if the site of one of my part-time jobs had power. Another bump. As I was approaching the freeway on-ramp, a car came up behind me- just roaring down the road. He flew by me, lost control and ended up in somebody’s front yard. A CHP (California Highway Patrol) SUV was on his tail- so he passed me by, pulled his vehicle In front of the first and stopped.
No injuries, police on scene, so I continued on. Got to building- no power, so I turned around to head home. I don’t know about you, but when I was learning to drive, I was taught that if an intersection’s traffic control lights were out- you treat it as a four-way stop and proceed on.
Apparently since I got my license when dinosaurs’ roamed the Earth- the other drivers at the intersection were not taught that same lesson, so they elected to not slow down, nor stop. So, that was a little bumpy.
Back on the freeway home (not a long drive- just one exit away) a beautiful white-tailed doe miscalculated her chances of getting across the road and lost a confrontation with a truck. He was able to get his truck stopped and out of the lanes of traffic. I was assured that my four-wheel anti-lock brakes work. Really well.
Turning onto my street- Mama Quail and her babies were out for a morning stroll, and disinclined to walk at more than a snail’s pace. Another test of the brakes- passed that one too.
If not for these bumps I would never have seen the hot pink and deep red cyclamen in bloom in the yard of the person who got a new lawn ornament in the form of a Dodge Durango.
I would never seen the sad and bittersweet sight of a beautiful creature leaping on delicate legs and tiny hooves; it’s rich caramel colored fur and huge brown eyes the stuff of stories. I hope that it left this world quickly and was already in the great meadow of the sky by the time the driver of the truck was able to get to it.
I never would have seen another mother shepherding her chicks across the street- at her own pace. No doubt admonishing them ‘slow down, don’t run, pay attention to where you’re going!’
I would not have savored the true sounds of silence, and renewed my love of that. I would not have breathed in the scent of burning lamp oil and bread toasting in a skillet. I reaffirmed my self confidence in being able to move along the road sans some modern conveniences.
I have always believed that taking the hard path rather than the easy one makes a person appreciate what they have, and in turn, the world around them. I think today proved that.
about 1 month ago
You too, have ventured out into the big scary world and conquered, bravo (or brava?) good post, Sherri.
about 1 month ago
What an exciting day you had Sherri and making the bad parts look good by enjoying everything along the way, you did not lose perspective of how sometimes hidrances can be seen in another light. Thank you for reminding me to to this when I hit a bump on the road!!
about 1 month ago
Yes, bumps can be good, if they make you slow down and savor life more. I know that you get overinvolved in your chores sometimes, and forget to smell the flowers, so I am glad Mother Nature and the power company assisted you!
Good post!
Cali
Good post!
Cali
about 1 month ago
What would life be like without the potholes!
CJ
CJ
about 1 month ago
CJ, much nicer and less expensive if you are talking about the real ones! The photo reminds me of many roads in Jamaica. The main ones are good but if you venture into the interior they look similar to this and the cost in tires and car repairs is exorbitant. I am going to dredge up and post my poem on Jamaican roads.
about 1 month ago
