Things for Thanks

OK, so everyone says we need to count our blessing and not the things that bring us down. This is a good philosophy. This is my take on it.

The other day, the night before Thanksgiving as a matter of fact, the weather was foul, snow blew side ways, the road was getting icy and the sun was going away and I had 20 miles down a road a road that was dark and in bad shape. There was this delivery half way to Marshall and I had the pleasure of performing it.

I called the people at the house to find out if the conditions were good for the delivery and had a general idea on where to go. She said they were up the side of the mountain with the snow coming down, but thought it was OK. I was a little concerned about my van getting up to their place, but kept going. I finally made it to the gate guarding the residents within.

My van could not even get to the keypad to open the gate.

I called the people and explained my predicament. I did not relate my concern for getting home due to slippery roads. I managed a 5 point turnaround without slipping off the road. At last I was on the way home to a nice warm fire and my Runtyun.

 I was determined to get home in one piece, but I wanted to get there, so I went slowly and made it past cars that were not as cautious as me. The police, fire department and tow trucks were on scene so I felt no need to stop and help. 

After a while, after passing a few more cars parked on the side of the road, either waiting for the sand trucks to go by, or stuck due to icy conditions, I got behind a little red sedan. By now I was feeling confident in my ability to navigate the mess coming from the sky, but this guy was going so slow and I wanted to be home. He never got gong more than 20 mph and I wanted to go faster. I could feel the frustration building as the second hand kept going slower and slower.

Finally, I just let it all go. I felt my shoulders relax and I just understood that no matter how much I needed to go faster, it would not happen. I let my mind wonder. I remembered the whole thing about thinking positively and thanking the world for all of the good things in my life.

The first thing I thought of were my parents and the love that they show me, but my immediate response was how it sucked that I was so dependent on them for so much. Then I thought about my job, especially the way the world is, “I have a job!” Then I reminded myself about the money I owed my boss in order to keep making money for him. A little smile spread across my lips as I thought of a friend in Marietta. But that thought finished by remembering she is not feeling so well and I could do nothing to help her.

All the while, this idiot in front of me was going no-miles-an-hour and keeping me from getting home to my fire and Runtyun. We came to a steep downhill and the guy slipped a little and I realized there was ice under the snow making things even more precarious.

That is when I realized it, this guy in front of me may be going slow, making me frustrated yet he refused to go any faster, even when the road was straight and clear. This ass, who was going too slow for me, may have saved me from going too fast, and not making it home at all.

I was still frustrated by the weather and how slow he was going, but I was truly thankful he was there keeping me on the road and on my way home.

olc