Get Out Of My Way

Pilanesberg game reserve, South Africa

Makes we wonder what was so important that the driver in the Volkswagen attempted to overtake the elephant. The elephant was obviously not having any of it, no one was going to get around him. Maybe the elephant was just having a bad day.

I tried to go around a large pickup truck in my very small car several years ago. The driver of the truck tried to push me off the road and his sneer in the mirror was on my mind for a long time. That was the one and only time I tried that. I was late to work and he, how dare he, was holding me up.  So I am not an innocent. I learned how easy it is to get caught up in the road rage  conflict.

Express Lane

Great sign for the people who can't read, are only able to look at the pictures like half the drivers on the road.

Sharing The Ride

One of my friends was telling some of us about the unique way her son and his friend checked off an item on their bucket lists.

My friend's son, who we will call Alex, apparently always wanted a Ford Mustang, one of the older ones in good condition. He and his wife, who we will call Cindy,  each have cars and the strain on the budget would be too much if they bought a car for recreation not just transportation.

Alex and Cindy have good friends, John and Liz, and Liz let it be known that she always wanted an older Mustang. The two couples decided to buy one car and share it. When the perfect car was found online, Liz flew out of state to drive the car home.

This has turned out to be the perfect solution. Each couple has the car every other month. They shared the purchase price and they share maintenance costs. Each couple has a car they can afford. Isn't that a great story? A car is a major purchase. I admire these two couples for finding a solution and honoring a commitment that brings joy to all of them. Wonder why other things in life are not solved this easily.

For many years it was a dream of mine to buy a 1965 Ford Mustang, install thick fluffy carpeting, have pin stripes down the side, and a sparkly clean engine. When I heard this story, I could so relate! Now I have to get an invitation to see this car.

Getting Through Life Or Living Life Fully

At this point in my life, my favorite part of this poster is "Open your mind, arms, and heart to new things and people, we are united in our differences." When I consciously made an effort to reach out to people several months ago, it changed my life and it also made a difference in my viewpoint on life. To overcome fears to step up and take chance after chance and speak to people I didn't know, and find out about them and risk befriending some of them has been helping make me stronger, wiser, more content in my life.

Single But Not Separate

 Single is not a dirty word
Table for one is justifiable
Dinner and a book are adequate

Liking my own company
Having time to ponder and reflect
Finding varied interests

No emotion based responses
Making decisions based on reason
Maturing gracefully

Alone but not lonely

Words Once Spoken Cannot Be Retrieved

It was a hard lesson for me to learn to engage my brain before I put my mouth in first gear. There have been so many times that I would blab something out to the universe without thinking. That has been one of the most difficult lessons for me to learn. Taking a few seconds to think before I speak has helped me grow into a calmer, slower person. I am not running a word race. Hurrying through life in words and in deeds has not given me time to appreciate things around me. Slowing down does not mean slow minded; it gives me moments to snap mental pictures and record some mental audio to replay later.

Balancing The Scale