111,111 Miles
Another Day Along the Way
Saturday, November 07, 2009
Another day,
On this year's eleventh month, I'm thinking about ones. Six ones. When I recently drove into town in our 2002 Hyundai Sonata, I noticed six ONEs smiling at me from the odometer.
I don't know average miles-per-gallon or miles-per-mood. I don't know much about fuel consumption, environmentally sustainable transportation. I don't know the number of songs heard, calls made, sips of water taken, comments stated, or prayers prayed. I just know the six ones reminded me of roads traveled. Roads of streets and roads of life. Many miles later I look back and remember, reflect, consider.
The Sonata adjusted to the move from Orlando to Royston, from Central Florida's heat to North Georgia's seasons, from flat roads to hills, from Cocoa Beach to Lake Hartwell, from friends to friends, from family to family, from life to life. When our car hit 111,111 miles I thought about where I'd taken her. Or, where she'd taken me.
Toll roads, flat roads, straight roads, rough roads. Meals and debates and prayers with my Partly Cloudy friends (they know what I mean). Conversations with old friends, new friends. Baseball games, basketball games, drives to the office, drives to the hospital, drives to the airport. Drives while feeling emotions of hurt, of fear, of joy, of sorrow, of peace, of anger. Driving too fast, too slow. Interstates, driveways, parking lots, hotels, construction. Sunny, cloudy, stormy, windy. Rain and snow and heat and cold. Night rides with very little traffic. Trips to Magic games in Orlando and a Magic game in Atlanta.
Rush hour in Orlando; rush hour in Atlanta. Traffic so close, moving slowly if at all. Mornings to breakfast with Lee Grady on Lee Road. Lunch gatherings near Colonial Mall or at Subway, or now at BarH or leaving the Sonata parked and eating with students. Turning left on Hoffner, turning left on the East-West, turning left on I-85, turning left on 29.
Retirement homes, convention centers, breakfast meetings, lunch meetings, dinner meetings, morning meetings, night meetings, board meetings, planning meetings, family meetings. Time for fun, time for conversations, time for laughter, time for confrontation. Driving to those places in a car I trusted, a car I depended on. Mapquest and Tom Tom helped our decisions, but the Sonata teamed with my efforts and took me places I could never take myself.
Has she enjoyed the 111,111 miles? How did she feel about the move to Georgia? Did the weather bring confusion? Did the hills and curves cause concerns? Does she ever wonder that I could one day return to my season of seizures and not be able to drive her again?
She listens to the music of Taylor and David and Van and Keith and James and Andrew and Bruce. A few of David's songs even remind me of the joy of my journeys among the miles; listen to This Old Car and Rusty Old American Dream by David Wilcox:
http://davidwilcox.com/index.php?page=cds&category=01--MUSICAL_MEDICINE
Trips with friends, trips to weddings, trips to funerals. Rides to the ocean, rides in the morning, rides at night. Experiences, risks, enjoyment, duties. With family, with friends, with self, with God. A hurry to the emergency room to check on a friend. A drive to PreFlight Parking to leave her alone while I fly far, far away. A drive past former dwelling places. A drive past a field, a park, a local church, a stadium.
Let us learn from a 2002 Hyundai Sonata. We often become a little dusty. We often need a little work on our engines, our tires, our parts. We no longer look the same as when traveling those first few miles. The dirt and mud of life find a place in our cars and in our lives.
So, let us ask: Have we enjoyed the 111,111 miles of life? How do feel about recent or upcoming moves? Do changes in life's weather bring confusion? Do emotional, relational, physical, and spiritual hills and curves cause concerns? Do we ever wonder how we should change our ventures in this life journey?
Think it over. Drive carefully and drive on. Pursue a destination for the proper reasons, but expect the unexpected during the ride. And, as we age and increase in miles, let us enjoy the journey.
Along the way,
Chris Maxwell
Powerful Statement: Often we run through life breathing shallowly. Health experts say we can improve our physical health by simply taking time to do deep breathing. I think the same is true of our spiritual life.
(Keri Wyatt Kent, Oxygen: Deep Breathing for the Soul)
Saturday, November 07, 2009
Another day,
On this year's eleventh month, I'm thinking about ones. Six ones. When I recently drove into town in our 2002 Hyundai Sonata, I noticed six ONEs smiling at me from the odometer.
I don't know average miles-per-gallon or miles-per-mood. I don't know much about fuel consumption, environmentally sustainable transportation. I don't know the number of songs heard, calls made, sips of water taken, comments stated, or prayers prayed. I just know the six ones reminded me of roads traveled. Roads of streets and roads of life. Many miles later I look back and remember, reflect, consider.
The Sonata adjusted to the move from Orlando to Royston, from Central Florida's heat to North Georgia's seasons, from flat roads to hills, from Cocoa Beach to Lake Hartwell, from friends to friends, from family to family, from life to life. When our car hit 111,111 miles I thought about where I'd taken her. Or, where she'd taken me.
Toll roads, flat roads, straight roads, rough roads. Meals and debates and prayers with my Partly Cloudy friends (they know what I mean). Conversations with old friends, new friends. Baseball games, basketball games, drives to the office, drives to the hospital, drives to the airport. Drives while feeling emotions of hurt, of fear, of joy, of sorrow, of peace, of anger. Driving too fast, too slow. Interstates, driveways, parking lots, hotels, construction. Sunny, cloudy, stormy, windy. Rain and snow and heat and cold. Night rides with very little traffic. Trips to Magic games in Orlando and a Magic game in Atlanta.
Rush hour in Orlando; rush hour in Atlanta. Traffic so close, moving slowly if at all. Mornings to breakfast with Lee Grady on Lee Road. Lunch gatherings near Colonial Mall or at Subway, or now at BarH or leaving the Sonata parked and eating with students. Turning left on Hoffner, turning left on the East-West, turning left on I-85, turning left on 29.
Retirement homes, convention centers, breakfast meetings, lunch meetings, dinner meetings, morning meetings, night meetings, board meetings, planning meetings, family meetings. Time for fun, time for conversations, time for laughter, time for confrontation. Driving to those places in a car I trusted, a car I depended on. Mapquest and Tom Tom helped our decisions, but the Sonata teamed with my efforts and took me places I could never take myself.
Has she enjoyed the 111,111 miles? How did she feel about the move to Georgia? Did the weather bring confusion? Did the hills and curves cause concerns? Does she ever wonder that I could one day return to my season of seizures and not be able to drive her again?
She listens to the music of Taylor and David and Van and Keith and James and Andrew and Bruce. A few of David's songs even remind me of the joy of my journeys among the miles; listen to This Old Car and Rusty Old American Dream by David Wilcox:
http://davidwilcox.com/index.php?page=cds&category=01--MUSICAL_MEDICINE
Trips with friends, trips to weddings, trips to funerals. Rides to the ocean, rides in the morning, rides at night. Experiences, risks, enjoyment, duties. With family, with friends, with self, with God. A hurry to the emergency room to check on a friend. A drive to PreFlight Parking to leave her alone while I fly far, far away. A drive past former dwelling places. A drive past a field, a park, a local church, a stadium.
Let us learn from a 2002 Hyundai Sonata. We often become a little dusty. We often need a little work on our engines, our tires, our parts. We no longer look the same as when traveling those first few miles. The dirt and mud of life find a place in our cars and in our lives.
So, let us ask: Have we enjoyed the 111,111 miles of life? How do feel about recent or upcoming moves? Do changes in life's weather bring confusion? Do emotional, relational, physical, and spiritual hills and curves cause concerns? Do we ever wonder how we should change our ventures in this life journey?
Think it over. Drive carefully and drive on. Pursue a destination for the proper reasons, but expect the unexpected during the ride. And, as we age and increase in miles, let us enjoy the journey.
Along the way,
Chris Maxwell
Powerful Statement: Often we run through life breathing shallowly. Health experts say we can improve our physical health by simply taking time to do deep breathing. I think the same is true of our spiritual life.
(Keri Wyatt Kent, Oxygen: Deep Breathing for the Soul)
6 Comments:
Too many times we stop too soon and give up. We need to endure.
It's been a great car. And it keeps reminding us to stay the course of our purpose even when we are dusty and weighty
Like life Miles are often forgotten,or not looked at.When others see Your White Sonata coming or parked,they think Chris is coming or Chris is already here.Tuesday morning Prayer Get Together at Evangel.Sunday Services,or Wedesday Night Services.Then when the time the White Sonata isn't seen any more except for visits.Something else to look at is how God has used those miles as a tool to help others.Chris it was a sad time to see You and Debbie leave Orlando.But The LOrd has used it for His Works. You get to Bless many more.Yet we in Orlando feel Blessed to have known You, and enjoy Your Visits.So maybe look at these miles as Blessings and teachings per trip. God Bless.
Interesting that the 111,111 didn't invoke thoughts of destination but of journey. The roads, curves, and obstacles are the stuff of life. Where your Sonata ends its journey won't matter nearly as much as who it's helped along the way.
It's a pretty cool metaphor.
How I miss those mornings with Chris at Denny's on Lee Road, and the prayer meetings in the parking lot afterward. Thank you Chris for investing my life and for driving all these miles with me.
So, what if i keep going the wrong way each time i drive (make decisions) in this crazy life of mine? How can I get better? I feel like really just a disaster.
Post a Comment