White Knuckles and Wall Huggers

Contemplating the drive home for the holidays and somehow now my daily drive doesn't seem so bad.  Usually I have company going downstate, but I probably won't this time.  A family emergency has made it so that my house partner will be heading down tonight or tomorrow morning, and I won't follow until sometime on Friday.  No help for it - I can't get out of work due to commitments at the office, and he must get down there as soon as he can.  All I can do is try to make it as stress-free for him as possible.  Kind of hard to do that when I'll be dreading the drive down myself.

Since my move Up North, I've become a lousy driver in busy traffic.  I'm one of those 'white knucklers' that you pass and laugh at, like the person on the outside ring of the skating rink, hugging the wall and afraid to get into the mainstream.  I know that by the end of the weekend I'll be back to my lane changing, swearing, charging downstate driver self, but am secure in the knowledge that it won't take too long to revert back to my Up North casual commuter stance.

Until that time, if you happen to look over and see someone who seems to be having a rough time of it, give them a break and back off, keep your brights down, and for Pete's sake, be a polite driver out there.

Does the Title Drive the Thought or the Other Way Around?

Do you find yourself struggling with putting a tag on your thoughts, trying to compartmentalize everything instead of simply letting it flow?  I know I do.  Writing this blog is teaching me that sometimes you need to just let things come as they will, and worry about what to call them later.

Trying to come up with a catchy title and then make the words fit just doesn't work.  Start writing.  Let the words come and you'll find your thoughts running over each other racing to get out.  If you must, wait until you're finished and then let the title come.

It's much easier to look at something that's done and then decide what to call it.  Like trying to stick a label on a person and then expect them to conform to that label.  Let people be who they are - then decide where they fit in your world.  Such infinite possibilities.

Writing is full of such possibilities, waiting for you to unlock them with your talent and energy.  It's up to you to take that energy and drive your talent.  Don't waste it.  Write.  Paint.  Whittle.  Doesn't matter - just drive!

Setting Moon, Rising Sun

Beautiful ride in this morning.  Crisp air, a fluff of snow and a gorgeous full moon.  My companion for a few miles until the clouds started coming in.  It was wonderful to still be able to see the moon peeking through as I rolled on - my speed combining with the clouds movement made for a beautiful moondance across the sky.

The moon slipped quickly toward the western horizon, dipping in and out of the clouds and changing color from a brilliant white to a soft pink, then orange.  Striking beauty, made all the more powerful by reason of the brevity of its existence - I felt privileged to be a witness to its passage.

As the glow from the moon began to fade it was replaced by a lightening of the sky as the sun began to rise.  Many mornings are filled with spectacular sunrises, forcing you to catch your breath and commanding your attention.  This wasn't one of those mornings, but rather a soft, slow lightening, calmly and without drama coming forward, gradually replacing the inky blackness of the starry night with the soft glow of dawn.

It's tempting to mourn the loss of a spectacular night sky when faced with a sedate sunrise, but I would much rather look forward to seeing what the new day will bring than to sulk because the night is done.  It's important to remember the night's beauty while appreciating the promise of a new day, and being grateful that the new day is here.

How Can They Call This a Tax Cut?

Cruising along, listening to the radio when NPR starts talking about the new tax cuts passing through the House and Senate.  Doesn't sound too bad - a little more cash in the pocket is always nice.  What I am interested in though is why this "cut" is made to Social Security Tax and not our Withholding.

If the tax cut was made through the withholding, then I would be more comfortable about it, but the fact is, social security is my retirement account.  My contributions to social security are an investment in my future, and a guaranteed way for my employer to be mandated by law to contribute.  Now I'm cutting back my investment, and my employer is being relieved of adding to it.  How many folks out there are relying on social security as their only means to save for retirement?  Only the ones who will really need it, and they're the ones who are getting screwed here.

I can see that this is a safe way for the government to say they're giving us a tax cut, but they're really not.  All they're doing is stopping us from investing in a future payback they would have to make.  The social security taxes are, in reality, a loan from us to the government that they will have to pay back.  Our withholding taxes on the other hand are simply us giving them money to use however they decide to.  They don't have to pay that back to us, and believe me, they don't want to.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but does this seem right to you?  Calling it a tax cut when it's really something else just seems unethical.  What do you think?

An Uneventful Drive is NOT a Boring Drive

Wow, there I was on the road again at 6:40 a.m., driving into work during my 60 mile commute, and... nothing.

The roads were clear (thanks guys!) and the snow was gently falling, not creating any hazards.  The other drivers on the road, when there were any, were for the most part courteous.  Only a few kept their brights on too long.  I didn't pass any accidents and there were no animals leaping in front of my wheels in an attempt to commit suicide.  A rather tame ride in today for which I am very grateful.

The only danger I faced this morning was of falling asleep at the wheel.  When those tail lights ahead of you start to dance around you know you're in trouble.  Switch the radio stations or turn it off for a few minutes - sometimes your thoughts can entertain you better than the radio anyway.  The problem there is that your inner eye can play tricks on you - you can be thinking of something else and not even see the road in front of you.

It's important to stay focused and be present.  Drive the car - don't simply ride along.

Cruise Control is NOT Auto Pilot

It's not too difficult to fall into the cruise control trap.  Get yourself comfortable, move along at a pace that seems right, and set the control.  Voila!  Doesn't take too much effort from there on, just keep your nose pointed in the right direction and go along for the ride.

Seems easy enough, until you hit an icy patch, run into a bit of traffic, or find a deer standing in your headlights.  Then watch out - you had better be on the ball or you're toast.  Fine, set your cruise - but you better stay focused and remember that you're doing the driving and not simply being the passenger.

While this definitely applies to driving, it also applies to your life.  If life is a trip you have to be the driver.  If you're simply a passive passenger you might as well be a piece of luggage - you are giving up your right to have a say in where you're going, how you're going to get there or whether or not you want to make any side trips.

Have you set your life on cruise control or are you still enjoying setting your own pace?  It's fine to find yourself in a comfort zone and be content to ride along as long as you stay in control of your own destiny.  How fast you go, where you turn, who you invite along for the ride - these are all important but remember - the only guarantee when you finally reach your destination is that you will be there.  Make sure the you that's there is someone you want to hang out with.

Wish I May, Wish I Might...

Last night we had our office Christmas dinner in Gaylord.  I had mixed feelings about going, only due to the fact it's a long ride home and I wasn't looking forward to a late night ride home without a cell phone.  As I pulled into the restaurant parking lot I was on a proverbial fence, afraid I wouldn't be able to enjoy the evening because I would be worrying about the ride home.  Much to my surprise and delight, who should pull in behind me but my house partner!  He drove all the way up from St. Helen to be there.

With a huge sense of relief, I was able to really enjoy the dinner.  We had a great time at The Bearded Dogg Restaurant in Gaylord, which opened just for our little group.  The atmosphere was fantastic, and the food was quite good.  After dinner, we played a board game I had never heard of before - "Apples to Apples" - which was very entertaining.

The ride home was made so much better knowing that I had back-up driving behind me and I was able to concentrate on the road without the constant worry that I would be stranded out there.  Being 9:00 pm it was pretty late (well for Up North) and I-75 was pretty much deserted.  But oh, what a beautiful night!  About three quarters of the way home I was startled by a shooting star that crossed overhead.  Other than thinking briefly about winning the lottery, I wasn't able to come up with a wish.  I have a great job with good people, and I have a beautiful home with someone who cares enough to show up unexpectedly simply to give me support.

Oh, but Santa, if you're listening...

Communication Breakdown

We had a bit of a snowstorm over the weekend.  Michigan didn't get hit as bad as some of the other states, but it was big enough to cause problems on the roadways.  Even with the road crews working overtime and giving up their weekends, it was still a mess.

Poor road conditions can make a commute a nightmare.  Although I-75 was fairly clear this morning, it still had patches that make your heart do funny things when you hit them.  I've gotten pretty good at navigating these spots, and feel fairly confident out there.

However, this morning I was about 15-20 minutes out from home and realized that I had left my cell phone sitting on the counter at the house.  My heart sank and I felt nauseous.  Now, I've gone thousands of miles in the past without a cell phone, and never had I felt like this.  The inability to make a phone call if I ran off the road or had engine trouble was a bit overwhelming.  I was surprised at the intensity of my dismay, and then felt foolish over being afraid.  When did I become so attached to this little piece of technology?  I cannot say but I can tell you one thing - I'll remember the phone tomorrow!

The Long and Short of It

I have a job.  Yay!

I have a home.  Yay!

My commute is 60 miles, each way.  Umm, yay?

In a way, I guess you could say Yay!  There are times when it seems to be a bit much, but like anything else you have to consider your alternatives.

I might not be working.  In today's economy that's a very real possibility, especially here in Northern Michigan where not working seems to be not far from the thoughts of an awful lot of us.  Since my odds of hitting the lottery are about as likely as getting hit by lightning, I think that having a job is something not to be taken for granted.

I might not have a home.  Again, here in Michigan that's something that we know a bit about, and in fact, earlier this year that was a distinct possibility for me.  I am exceedingly grateful to have a home and, bonus, a job at the same time.

So, what's a 60 mile commute, twice a day?  Bring it on!