Waiting For The Impact
One of the worst sounds in the world is the sound of horns blaring and squealing tires. Nothing gets my heart rate up faster. Frantically looking in the rear view mirror, side mirrors and around me, physically bracing for the impact. Holding my breathe waiting for a hit that doesn't come, and then slowly exhaling, wanting to pass out from relief when I realize I wasn't the one in danger.
But I think about life and how many "emotional crashes" we are subjected to in our lifetime. Sometimes there is the chance to steel ourselves for the hit and other times there just isn't. I'm not sure which is better.
On the one hand, there is something to be said for knowing something is coming and at least being able to eliminate the element of surprise.
On the other, some things we could never prepare ourselves for, regardless of how much warning we may have been given.
At the state fair this weekend, I went through the car displays and marvelled at the new "crash detection" technology that is now coming standard in most cars. All minivans now have a backup camera that allows drivers to see and be warned if there is something in their drivepath. One of the new automakers has a "lane sensitivity" device that is a camera mounted near the bumper that will beep if the driver gets out of their lane and then flashes a picture of the road onto a monitor in the cab so the driver can see how close they are to the edge.
I wish I knew how close I was to the "edge" sometimes. When I look back on some of the challenges I've faced, it was merely because I took a chance in a situation where I really didn't have that luxury, but believed I did. Maybe if life had bumper cams, we'd all be in better shape!
Life has a way of throwing things at us that we may not be prepared for: loss of a job, infidelity in a marriage, death. And it is in these moments that we are most vulnerable. It is here, in our darkest hours, that we learn how strong or how weak we really are.
In the end, no matter how many blasts of the horn I hear or how long I hear squealing tires, if the impact is going to come, it's going to come. I may think I'm ready, but won't really know until I feel that impact.
I believe preparedness is the one thing we have in our corner as far as life is concerned. I have learned that I may not be able to stop the impacts from coming, but I can be as ready for them as possible.
Know that there are more impacts coming. Some we may see off in the distance, others lay waiting to blind sight us. As I get ready for a new work week, I hope that I am doing the right things to steel myself against the unpredictability that lays in the days and weeks ahead.
No wants to be challenged or hit with something they can't handle. But I know there are some squealing tires in the future that have my name on them. I am calm, relaxed and belted in for what is sure to be the ride of my life.
But I think about life and how many "emotional crashes" we are subjected to in our lifetime. Sometimes there is the chance to steel ourselves for the hit and other times there just isn't. I'm not sure which is better.
On the one hand, there is something to be said for knowing something is coming and at least being able to eliminate the element of surprise.
On the other, some things we could never prepare ourselves for, regardless of how much warning we may have been given.
At the state fair this weekend, I went through the car displays and marvelled at the new "crash detection" technology that is now coming standard in most cars. All minivans now have a backup camera that allows drivers to see and be warned if there is something in their drivepath. One of the new automakers has a "lane sensitivity" device that is a camera mounted near the bumper that will beep if the driver gets out of their lane and then flashes a picture of the road onto a monitor in the cab so the driver can see how close they are to the edge.
I wish I knew how close I was to the "edge" sometimes. When I look back on some of the challenges I've faced, it was merely because I took a chance in a situation where I really didn't have that luxury, but believed I did. Maybe if life had bumper cams, we'd all be in better shape!
Life has a way of throwing things at us that we may not be prepared for: loss of a job, infidelity in a marriage, death. And it is in these moments that we are most vulnerable. It is here, in our darkest hours, that we learn how strong or how weak we really are.
In the end, no matter how many blasts of the horn I hear or how long I hear squealing tires, if the impact is going to come, it's going to come. I may think I'm ready, but won't really know until I feel that impact.
I believe preparedness is the one thing we have in our corner as far as life is concerned. I have learned that I may not be able to stop the impacts from coming, but I can be as ready for them as possible.
Know that there are more impacts coming. Some we may see off in the distance, others lay waiting to blind sight us. As I get ready for a new work week, I hope that I am doing the right things to steel myself against the unpredictability that lays in the days and weeks ahead.
No wants to be challenged or hit with something they can't handle. But I know there are some squealing tires in the future that have my name on them. I am calm, relaxed and belted in for what is sure to be the ride of my life.