Snow Day Reading Plans

Slow down.

I learned this lesson a long time ago.

Not from driving though.

I used to drive from Orlando to Arkansas and back again when my kids were younger.

It’s a sixteen hour trip, with a time change and four major Interstate’s.

Hop over to 75 for a race up to Atlanta.

Take the bypass by the airport to hit I-20.

Make a short hop up to 59 in Birmingham.

And swing onto I-40 in Memphis after 3 hours through Alabama and Mississippi hill country.

I tried to lock in at just below 80 on the straight away’s.

Eyes roaming for parked cars which might be John Law lying in wait to pass out a ticket.

Any suspicious vehicle just meant lifting the pedal from the metal and letting the car slow naturally.

Too fast, and they would notice you.

Of course, by the time I saw them, they had me on a radar gun.

But no tickets during at least fifty trips.

Maybe more than that, I’d have to do a count.

No, I learned to slow down when I ran on the roads.

People drive too fast.

I just saw a report that in 2020, even though there was less traffic by 75%, there were more accidents, and more deaths.

All related to speeding.

I watched a video yesterday, of people speeding on a I-35 in Texas.

They plowed into a 100 car pile up, killed 7.

Another in Austin. Another in Atlanta.

I watched video from every state under ice, and people whizzing by reporters.

Too fast for conditions.

But I guess there’s no limit on stupidity.

Especially no speed limit.

I know there is a metaphor in there, about slowing down on the road to enjoy the ride, but that’s hard to do with so many idiot drivers out there.

I know slowing down is hard to do when there is so much stuff to do.

I am guilty of going fast and hard on just about every thing.
(that’s what she said)

But I preach slowing down.

I shout it out in traffic.

I yell it at passing cars when I’m running.

I grunt it at the television, like some Shaman spitting words of wisdom to people who just won’t listen.

I try to tell my kids.

And I work on practicing that preach more.

Slowing down my thoughts. Slowing down on my Big Ass To Do List.

Slowing down to listen to my kids tell me about their rapidly expanding young lives.

To watch the boys play baseball and sip coffee in the morning while the sun comes up over the lake.

I did yoga and meditation for a few years. (and need to get back into it)

Because I run so much, my heart rate is kind of low.

And meditation slows it even more.

I had to practice that, and learn how to do it, to breathe and still my mind.

I need to practice it on other people…