Some Shortcuts Don’t Work 

There is sometimes traffic stopped on the main highway on my way home from work where I live. 

 

Recently I tried a back road to get around this traffic and found that some shortcuts don’t work.

 

Has this happened to you? 

 

I thought I was being tricky in taking a less known route as I got off the five-lane road, took a left turn, went over a bridge and waited to take another left. 

 

Yes, the music was turned on to add some good driving tunes.  

 

Then, the final turn came into view along with this. 

 

Do you see how my plan turned out? 

 

This was a time, perhaps like one of yours, that shows that some shortcuts don’t work.

 

I will tell you that I had moments of being perplexed. 

 

Seriously. 

 

Don’t they know that I have places to be and people to see? 

 

How long is this going to take? 

My best shortcut

This is my best shortcut to get to those people, folks, so let’s scoot along. 

 

Then came the bits of awareness that apparently other people on that main road knew about this shortcut.

 

Isn’t that a bugger? 

Or great minds think alike!

 

Which one would your mind go to?

 

Mine started to look around and realize that if we were all going to wait then I could use my time to look up. 

 

I also began to think about a couple more things. 

 

Let’s look at a couple more reminders that popped out together.

 

First is that line of red taillights. How many do you see?  

The turn I need to make is up ahead of all of them. 

So much for the shortcut that was going to work

So much for the shortcut that was going to work. 

 

Until I realized that I was suddenly given a long moment to pause. 

 

Breathe in. Breathe out. 

 

How does this work in traffic and in life? 

There are times when I have seen signs of stopping and what it actually means is that I get to pause, restart, take that breath and be ready for the next turn. 

 

The turn always comes, my friends. 

 

Let’s see what is next. 

 

Well, look here.

I saw that my shortcut brought me to a narrowed road instead of the usual two lanes going in this direction. 

 

Okay. Now it can’t really be happening. 

The shortcut is not working

The shortcut is not working and now there is not enough room to travel. 

 

C’mon. 

There is even a handy dandy sign that shows which way to merge. 

 

Oh hey! Thanks for that reminder, road construction people. Appreciate ya. 

 

I have come up on narrow roads a few times before. Do you know what happens in everyday life? 

There is not usually a sign that pops up in view to tell me that a road or path is changing. 

 

It turns out that time to think about this helped me remember how grateful I have been when I knew what was coming and could plan, get ready for a change and then get ready for when plans needed to change again. 

 

Like on this day. 

 

Next was a chance to look up and notice that there was amazing beauty above the red lights, narrowed road and other changes in my plans.

Do you see that beauty

Do you see that beauty? 

 

Here is what stands out to me as we look beyond what we can see above the busy street. 

 

Snow on the blue mountains. 

Layers of clouds that frame the scene with calm. 

 

The final thing I know about this day is that I was warm and safe in my car. My heater was on. The windshield wipers were ready. 

 

I was good to go, and waiting was okay. 

 

Here is what happened next. 

 

Traffic started to move. 

I know! Can you believe it? 

 

All of this preparation after being perplexed while gaining awareness and then I was on my way? 

 

It was as if as soon as I let go and started to relax with the situation, it all worked out. 

 

I have since thought about this. 

This is how it goes in my life, as well. 

I work to get curious

When I am perplexed about the stuff going on around me, I work to get curious about it. 

 

What is happening right in front of me? 

 

Then go to the next step and check that out. 

 

Oh yeah. Let me work on that and see what can be done there. 

This is where I sit with things, feel the feelings. Check out the narrowed space. 

 

Be in this space for the time needed. 

Find focus. 

 

Then my eyes go up. 

Quickly or eventually. 

 

There they go. 

 

Up, up, up. To the Clouds. Like this song from Zach Sobiech.

 

I found my rhythm on this shortcut and will remember each step.

 

Here is one more thing that I found out. 

 

Even when this was the shortcut that did not work right away. 

It did eventually.

 

Find your shortcuts, your rhythms and folks that go there with you, my friends.