Rules of the Road #2

What do we do when we run out of air? Or even worse, blow up?

Lately my craft has been driving. Seems to be an odd job for a college educated 24 year old, but these were the cards I was dealt. I'm certainly not thrilled to be driving a truck all summer, but I've vowed to be committed and stick it out. I want to see all of the lessons I can learn from doing a "non-traditional" job. 

In two months time I feel like I've gotten a handle on my job. Understanding turning radii and how to park a 45 foot vehicle have become routine. Navigation and travel time estimation can be done on the fly. Once you hit the highway you can cruise along and only stop for gas and bathroom breaks. It feels good to have that type of accomplishment, regardless of how difficult the task may be. 

Then one day you're driving in Wyoming racing the clock to get back to your home in Colorado. You've been hauling ass and nightfall is about to hit. Nothing new. Until you see smoke coming from your trailer. And as you pull over you see that you don't just have a flat tire, you have a tire that EXPLODED going 75mph. 

For me, there were a lot of ways this could go. My initial reaction is worry. When will this get fixed? How? How much will it cost? Do we have cell phone service? Then my adrenaline kicks in, my heart rate skyrockets, and I do everything in my power to fix the situation as quickly as possible. 

This trip has shown me that in reality I'm not in control of my fate. My old self would have freaked out. My new self saw what happened and had patience. We knew we didn't have the tools to fix the tire (or a spare, whoops) so we had to change course. We called a repair service, haggled with them, and had them come out to our location 25 miles from the nearest town. In an hour and a half the tire was fixed, and we were on our way. 

The fact is, we all get flat tires in our lives. Some are slow leaks that could be prevented while others are massive blowouts that completely alter our course. It could be you find out your job isn't what you wanted and you feel stuck, or you're laid off and looking for your next opportunity. Either way, there is no point in worrying. Instead of focusing on how to immediately "fix" the situation, we should remain calm and take a look at what's going on. What tools do we have that will get us back on our road (or career path)? Do we know how to use them? And most importantly, should we call for help? 

From there you can get yourself back up. Remember though, things aren't going to go your way all the time. Sometimes we need to alter our course based on when we get a flat. And that's ok! You do have the skills to get yourself back on the road no matter how difficult the situation, and if you enjoy the journey instead of focusing on the end result you'll be amazed at where you can go. Did I think that I would have a summer job driving a truck after college? Nope. But has it taken me to places I never imagined I would go? Absolutely. So go out into the world with confidence, and enjoy the ride!    

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