Taken In Stride

Want to give us an example?

What choice do we have but to take it with a grain of salt or not give a crap at all.

Lisa,

A simple example

Driving

When I first got behind the wheel I was a nervous wreck, but as I became more adept, I became more comfortable, to the point that I would drive anytime, anywhere with complete ease.

..Now, after all these years, I've become riddled with doubts about my ability and more importantly the ability of others on the road, to drive properly.

Driving is scary. I wasn't nervous enough when I began, but after losing a sibling to drunk driving, I will never drink and drive!

And I am very nervous driving everywhere.

I learned to drive at drivers ed in high school - I never owned a car, however, until I was 22 or 23 (a long time ago). I've driven across the U.S. several times (like about 15) from one coast to the other. When young I could drive into the wee hours of the night - but no more. I remember the first time I dozed off at the wheel.

I've driven in Europe, Switzerland and France (perhaps the only place in Europe that would scare me would be driving in Rome).

Since I had my surgery, a little over three years ago now, I'm edgy about even driving 6 hours (but I'm a lot older now, not as old as Roger though). Now I do my very best to avoid city driving - Atlanta is just a no-no. I'll drive a lot of miles to go around it; the by-pass roads are no better than driving right through on the interstate.

I have two more trips planned for this year to the mountains of NC and next year a longer trip out west again. Even now, I still put a couple of hundred miles in a week just driving the back country roads. It's going to be a miserable life when I cannot get out and go.

People drinking and driving don't scare me near as much as people, even old folks, texting and driving.

Roy,

I agree with you about the texters 100%. It is four or five times more dangerous than being blotto drunk.

Dave
Post Modern Artist

I think one important quality in life is an ability to get out of your comfortable zone when needed. I thought that I'm sure that I could do it anytime as I did it multiple times in my life. ... But after I was over my 70 year threshold I started to doubt. Fortunately I recently found that I still could do it.

"...more importantly the ability of others on the road, to drive properly" - Roger.

IMO your concern here is justified, Roger without a doubt. And it has little or nothing to do with age.

We lived in Phoenix, Arizona from 1991 - 2003 when we moved to Maine. Driving in Phoenix was a "challenge" due mainly to the shear volume of cars on the roads. Bad drivers and drunks accounted to much of the mayhem. Transparency here... I wasn't the best driver here but never drove and drank. I was cured of that years before and is another story.

We moved back to the Phoenix area in 2016. The astounding thing to me, and this just drives me nuts (pun intended), is the HUGE number of WRONG WAY DRIVERS!

To the best of my memory I cannot remember any wrong way driver incidents here. I do remember encountering a wrong way driver in upstate NY in the 80's but I wrote that off to a impaired driver. Never did hear if he/she was caught. Precell phone era so we had to get off the highway and find a pay phone (kids ask your parents what that was) to call police.

In 2017 there were a TOTAL of 23 wrong way incidents here. As of June of this year there have been 17 wrong way incidents on valley freeways. Some of them are in broad daylight with perfect weather conditions

What has changed in the last 15 years? Not the roads. What has changed with drivers? Cell phones and texting, as bad as they are, have been suggested but I don't think that explains the fact many of these drivers are covering many miles before crashing head on with other drivers or are pulled over. And these incidents are on divided highways. It's been suggested also that the opioid problem may have something to do with it as well as the laxer enforcement of marijuana laws.

I only hope that this problem is figured out soon and a solution is found before it gets worse.

BillTomsa

https://billtomsa.blogspot.com/

Yuri,

RE:..." I started to doubt. Fortunately I recently found that I still could do it."

With me, I'm going to change your statement a bit

I started to doubt. Fortunately, so far, I found that I still could do it.

But for how long?

Avoidance is taking over...(I'm here typing instead of "Creating" in the basement)


I keep trying to convince myself that when the pressure is on, like in the old days, I'LL PRODUCE

And since, the first 2 weeks of the selling season were slow in sales due to the rain, the pressure is down

So my work in the basement, last about 2 hours, before I begin to run outta gas.

I know, I know, that I got to seriously prepare for the remaining selling weeks, that will go on into November....Even doubling up on shows

YES I CAN!!!.........YES I CAN TAKE IT IN STRIDE!!!.........Maybe tomorrow

Rroger this isn't an answer to everything but I've found it to be very comforting in certain times.

ATTITUDE
by Charles Swindoll


"The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think, say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company... a church... a home.

The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we embrace for that day. We cannot change our past... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play the one string we have, and that is our attitude... I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it.

And so it is with you... we are in charge of our Attitudes”


Bill Tomsa

https://billtomsa.blogspot.com/

What you're saying Roger is logical and your subconscious is telling you something the conscious mind may have difficulty relating to.

As we get older, we are not the same as when we were at our peak, (whenever that was). I think you and the rest of us probably know that from our observations of others through life, but when we begin to realize it about ourselves, it takes a little getting used to. It's like... I've spent my whole life sharpening my knowledge and skills and I haven't stopped trying, so why are things beginning to deteriorate now? This is just life. It's a bell curve.

When I was in school, I had a teacher that somewhat jokingly would tell us how when we're born, we're usually bald, pot belly, wrinkly, no teeth, drooling, and uncoordinated. As we grow into adults, we change and become adept, attractive, etc. But when we reach the Autumn of our lives, we tend to revert back to the way we were as babies... getting bald, pot belly, wrinkly, loosing teeth, and of course our reflexes slow and our coordination suffers greatly.

I think that some may keep a young mind, but the rest of the body sooner or later submits to the results of getting old and eventually there's very little we can do about it.

As far as wrong way drivers. Every sign should have this on the back.

"You are driving the wrong way. Pull over to the side of the road immediately!"

as to the topic. 1. I somehow feel this has to do with the guy you have working for you. 2. I also feel it has something to do with a "What the hell is wrong with these people?" sort of a vibe.

I agree! I can't stand how drivers leave two car lengths between them and the car in front when wer queuing for the left turn light.

Just one of the annoyances that give me a new appreciation for the old guy who used to tell at me not to sit on his fence.

Uther.

RE:...."Wrong Way Signs"

My problem are the "Wrong Way" signs placed on the median between the exit and entrance lanes on highways.

When it comes directly on to my eyes, I automatically slam on my brakes, much to the dismay of those behind me.

Why oh Why??? can't those signs be placed on the far shoulder, so if I was in the wrong lane it would then be directly in my eyes??


Edit:

RE: Medium vs. Median

I just cut my bath short when I realized I used the wrong word

Roger, two years ago I was driving my granddaughter to school, picking her up after school, taking her home to change, then to dance class, then home, then to music class, and more.

Today there is Uber. My car needs to go into the shop, but I won't take it or I'll be on the road again.

The good news for us... Self driving cars will make it safer for all of us, including the pot heads now on the road.

I quit driving at night because it is harder for me to see with the blinding lights. Another plus. And now you can get practically everything delivered the next day. Mostly for free.

So, while I no longer drive, I have all the free time in the world, and Costco comes to me. No more lines to wait in.

Roger,

That's why I say the backs of every sign. So that if I am driving south in the north bound lane I see the backs of signs intended for people driving north. And those messages say "PULL OVER!"

Also, it is apparent that the signs at the entrances aren't working sufficiently, because they are confounding when they seem to be in your lane when they are directed to people heading in your direction but on the exit that runs parallel to the entrance ramp.

Would it work? I don't know, but I think it is worth a shot.

I came up with this idea while driving down the Taconic Parkway which is fairly notorious for wrong way drivers. (along with everything else the Taconic is notorious for! Beautiful ride but oy vey!)

Chuck,

I have driven drunk. And I have driven high, and I have driven tired. I have driven while talking on the phone (both handheld and Bluetooth) I have (only once of twice ish) texted and or read texts while driving. I have watched salacious videos while driving.

I have also driven stone cold sober. I have driven while being in a screaming match with my significant uther. I have driven with children.

I have always been fond of dreaming up better ways of getting from point A to point B. I think the "auto" of automobile is the biggest part of the problem. It only needs to be "auto" for the "last mile" for the vast majority of people. If there were something as simple as a cable that cars clamp onto or a slot car style or a computer guidance system where cars become part of the traffic borg, the system would work better.

I prefer to drive in the very early morning. setting off on 6 hour drives at 1 or 2 in the morning is perfect for me. The roads are wide open all you need to do is keep the car between those two white lines. I love it (I also love listening to AM Radio overnight, there is some crazy poop going on out there and you don't know where it is coming from. One night I was driving past Boston as the Celtics lost a playoff game and I was looking forward to hearing the call in show (Boston "fans" are BRUTAL when they lose) but it turned out I was listening to a Cleveland radio station. And those late night ministers! They are a HOOT!

I have been known to be allegedly pleasantly buzzing along (I don't drink, and I don't drink and drive, as a result), Herb is not like we remember it. Being high is not like it used to be. (although, back in the day, it was used primarily to get me through swimming practice which was nearly year round... and then play practice came after swimming practice. Herb never made me lazy. Stupid, perhaps, but I was on the go from 6AM to 10 PM.)

Uther, when I started creating the art that hangs on a wall, I went to gallery openings every Saturday and imbibed all the many offerings, then drove home drunk as a skunk but doing it quite well. One night I had my granddaughter with me. We left the gallery and cars started honking and people yelling from the cars....

My lights were not turned on, I was on the wrong side of the road, my granddaughter was scared to death and crying...

I stopped going to galleries. Now I have my glasses of wine at home.

I won't try to guess how many road miles I've scored but it's a ton. Extended road trips are my thing and have been for my entire adult life. I love to drive and never found it scary, with a couple major exceptions. I've been caught in horrible storms at night, where the windshield wipers couldn't keep up, trying to navigate unfamiliar major cities with massive traffic and blinding headlights. It was particularly scary because not only driving blind and lost, but dodging crazy-fast traffic and merging onto bridges. I hate bridges!

But the worst scares were 2 times during the middle of the night, both in remote canyons, with heavy downpours that flooded rivers and lapped over the road. I couldn't turn around and couldn't find a way to higher ground so had to push on, expecting to be swept away any minute. Now that was scary!

When I lived in big cities, commuting never bothered me one bit but now I'm back living in the sticks where there is no traffic or stop signs. I find that I have to pay very close attention when I hit big towns. Did a city run yesterday. It took several hours of dodging traffic to get everything done. By the time I got home I was worn on just from having to be on guard for a long stretch, Or maybe it was just age.

Chuck,

Chamber of Commerce mixers here. I had a few martins at one and driving home I knew it was a bad idea. That was somewhat the last time. I tended to drink closer to home. Point is, I'd rather share the road with stoners than drunken persons and much more than texters/ phone gabbers.

I have been lucky not to have crashed and or be pulled over. I am careful not to judge people too harshly if they don't have the luck I do. But it is pretty simple to know that drinking and driving is a bad idea.

I do judge texters etc harshly! My daughter was the cause of a bad accident because she was checking her GPS (she says, and I believe her, because I want to). Especially because they can't wait to stop at a stop light so they can get back to their conversation. Thus they stop so far behind the person in front, without regard for the people behind trying to get into the turning lane but can't because there are three people texting and using the space for 6 cars!

That is my pet peeve.

This younger generation!

That left turn lane texting drives me crazy as well.

We seldom blow horns here in LA, but when you hear one, you know the goofball up front is looking at his phone, not the light.