Cinco de Mayo, Ridiculous becoming normal, Near Death experience

Happy Cinco de Mayo!


When I arrived at work today we were met with a procedural change that borders on idiotic; another case where the ridiculous will soon become normal. So many times in life we adopt routines or develop habits that are, to say the least, less than practical. Putting on makeup or texting while driving, are examples that come quickly to mind.

With that analogy in mind, what we are being asked to do is like asking that, in certain circumstances, there be one person assigned to watch the speedometer while the driver operates the vehicle. The extra man has no ability to control the speed of the vehicle; he only watches the speedometer to alert the driver to his/her speed. It is one of those situations that the potential for irritation (of the person actually driving) is enough to warrant rethinking the application of policy.

But sometimes we have to go along to get along. I have told my kids that we are only given a finite amount of emotional energy for our life. (At least that is the way I explain it.) So, I advise them not to waste it on things that do not matter. Save your energy, your passion, or your anger for important issues in life. Pick your battles carefully. Many of them you will loose, so it is best to make sure anything you fight for or against is a worthy effort.

Loosely paraphrased, there is a simple prayer that asks; Lord, grant me the courage to change the things I can change, the serenity to accept those things that I cannot change, and the wisdom to know the difference.

Still on the driving theme, we drove 1300 miles from Monday afternoon to Tuesday night; from central New Jersey to south-central West Virginia. A detour on the way over made us glad to have the Garmin with us. It probably saved us an hour or more of being stuck in traffic due to an accident. Well worth the money. One of the few practical toys I own.

Speaking of accidents, we were almost in one. I tend to be mindful of individuals driving rental trucks – doesn’t matter what company. By and large, many who drive these bobtail moving trucks have little or no experience operating them. Such was probably the case of the person who almost hit us Monday evening.

As we came up to an exit, the truck was in the lane to exit. I was in the right lane starting to pass the truck as it slowed to exit. A Ford truck pulling a trailer was approaching me on my left when the driver of the Moving truck decided not to finish the exit and, wanting to avoid the crash barrels attached to the guard rails, moved quickly left, back into the lane I was in.

I am sure I was in the driver’s blind spot but there was no time to do anything (shout, honk the horn, call the person a name or two) other than more left or literally get run over. I looked and saw that the driver of the Ford truck who obviously saw what was happening was slowing enough to let me squeeze over in front of him in time to avoid getting wiped out. Thank God! It would have taken both of us out as well as a few other cars. I was literally only three to four inches away from either truck.

The only thing that kept me from real panic is that I was the only one aware of what was happening. If my wife had seen what was going on, I may not have been able to concentrate through the screaming.