Stuck in Traffic? Lucky You.
I could see it coming. My dad and I coming to a stop on I75 outside of Chattanooga, Tennessee. I could not believe it. It was Saturday. The day every 11 year-old boy waits for all week. As we came to a stop, I waited patiently for what seemed like an eternity, but which I am sure was only about five minutes before I became consumed with frustration.
But was I to blame? Of course not! It was Saturday after all. My beloved Braves were playing on TV already AND wrestling was coming on afterwards. All I could think about was missing the Rock-N-Roll Express, Dusty Rhodes, and the Four Horseman, and having to wait another whole week before I could watch them again.
The more anxious I became, the more my desire to start moving grew. I finally could not take it anymore. So I decided to begin to express my displeasure for the situation outwardly to my dad. I began with questions such as, “What is taking so long?” - “Can we go another way?” - “I can’t even see what the problem is, can you?”
My dad, who was a first responder in the adjoining county, just looked over at me and asked, “Would you rather be sitting here or be in the accident?” I quickly responded, “I would rather be home watching the Braves and wrestling!!!” He just cut his eyes at me and replied, “Well sometimes you do not have that option.”
As we began to move we passed by the accident. It was two cars in the median. One was burnt almost to the ground and the other looked like someone had ripped off the front end. My thoughts of Dale Murphy and Ric Flair began to shift for a minute and I asked my dad, “What happen?” “Do you think anyone is hurt?” My father said, “If no one isn’t hurt, it will be a miracle.”
It wasn’t until years later that I found myself thinking about this day while sitting in traffic outside of Lexington, Kentucky. From a distance I was able to see two medical helicopters land and an unknown number of ambulances and first response vehicles arrive at the scene. After two hours traffic began to move again. As I passed by the accident, I couldn’t help but think of those words from so many years before.
Life is like traffic. Most days it goes smoothly without any slow downs or issues, but inevitably there will be days that we are stopped, re-routed, or delayed. So the next that happens in the waiting room of a doctors office, be grateful it is just a check-up, annual exam, or a sore throat and not a terminal illness. The next time you order your food and it isn’t quite the way you ordered it, be thankful you have the resources and opportunity to sit and enjoy a meal and not begging for food to survive. The next time you are delayed in traffic, be thankful you get to sit in your vehicle and are not involved in the accident ahead.
When you create a world of thankfulness, your world begins to change for the better. Never forget it is always easier to be thankful for the inconvenience than to be the one that needs a miracle.