ruts in the road
Energy settled after a walk, Henny watched the world pass by through nose-printed windows.
Curious to a fault, the fourleg was enjoying spring explorations off her well-worn paths. Snow-melt and rain made mud pits of trails and dog parks, leading paws and muses to search out paved trails and city streets as a diversion from their neighborhood. Familiarity dulled their senses.
“Are your seatbelts fastened?” Nia checked her buckle while wheels fell into, then climbed out of, a plethora of potholes.
Thalia lifted her arms and waved her hands about. “Wheeeeeee!”
“Sunshine, exercise, birdsong… and bumps in the road…” Calliope pressed her nose against the glass, “… the ride of our lifetime.”
We must acknowledge powerlessness as our essential condition — after all, we do not even control the beating of our own hearts — and yet, at the same time, we must acknowledge our absolute responsibility for our actions.
~ Rolf Gates, Meditations from the Mat
Your lovely drawing conjured Dorothy and her Ruby Red slippers on The Yellow Brick Road! Yikes! What came next was a mention of potholes, and as a former Yank they’re easily remembered. Back then we joked that this winter result was a conspiracy between Nature and Tire/Alignment shops. We never knew Ma Nature’s cut in the deal. 🤷🏽
When Izzie rides shotgun while I’m erranding, I alert her to the near future. Traffic calming becomes “bumpy-bump”; a STOP sign is “sto-o-o-p-p-I-n-g”; a ‘roundabout is “big turrnnn”. Hmmm? I’m a bit more like Tal than I realized. 😱
I’ve digressed from today’s real message.
Rolf makes our predicament abundantly clear. We’re both powerless and responsible. Acknowledging that fact seems conducive to humility. The AA Big Book stressed that humility is our desired state of being, and humiliation has no relationship to humility. Jabberwocky? No. Another life lesson.
As always, grateful for your well selected lessons to illuminate The Yellow Brick Road. Ruby slippers optional... 🙃
I like the Gates quote! We can be powerless in the immediate while being responsible for consequences...