Day 12: On the Road
- Jim
- Feb 13, 2019
- 2 min read
My musings have slowed a bit this week as I have driven to visit my sister, nieces and nephews, great nieces and nephews and, most recently, a great, great nephew in Texas. I have always wanted to be a great, great something. My sister is a dear soul who is also a bit of a savant with numbers and helps me with my taxes. The trip is a combination of business and pleasure since I really hate wading through that quagmire alone.
The drive can be lengthy and tiresome. This year I stopped for my first night about an hour west of Albuquerque, rose early and headed toward the great state of Texas. My intention was to take my time, enjoy the drive through the high desert, maybe even play some golf, stay another night in Tucumcari or Amarillo, however those plans were soon chilled. Not long after driving through Albuquerque the temperature took a huge dip and dropped into the teens. Snow flurries blew wistfully across the road and I knew I was in for a long day. I decided to put my head down and drive straight through to my sister’s house just outside of Dallas.
Needless to say, it was a long day. Six hours later, as I crossed the state line into Texas I saw in the distance a large, red flashing sign that read: “LIFE CHANGING MASSAGE”. My back and neck were pretty sore and I confess I thought about pulling off the Freeway to get the kinks out. I even pulled into the slow lane to get a better look at the establishment that was offering relief and to position myself for the off ramp just in case I decided to take the turn.
Now my eyesight used to be excellent, but over the years the magnification in my Walmart readers has grown. When I slowed down and looked a second time at the sign, I realized I had misread it. What it actually said was “LIFE CHANGING MESSAGE” and in smaller letters “welcome to Friendly Baptist Church”. I chuckled to myself and kept driving.
As I drove, I continued to laugh at myself and how my misreading of the sign was pretty funny. Then my thoughts took a more serious turn to how easily things can be miscommunicated, and often are, especially in these times when we so often allow labels rather than intentions to define people. I think I could have used a LIFE CHANGING MASSAGE that evening ... but I know we could all use a LIFE CHANGING MESSAGE ... about now!!!
The Journey Continues…
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