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Do you see a road closed sign as an opportunity or an annoyance?
As we all know, it’s that time of the year when needed road work causes numerous road closures. Yes it’s annoying, but hopefully, the closure leads to an improved road. Of course, that closure also means a detour awaits us.
The question then becomes what will that detour lead us to? Will it lead us to new discoveries or will it be just a some old/same old journey? Well, here’s a recent experience with road closed sign.
On our way to join family members for a luncheon reunion, we encountered three road closure signs. OK, that means we must follow the detour signs which could mean a lot more driving time (Will we be late for lunch?), and the tension begins to mount.
You know, it just dawned on me that we encounter many other "road closures" and "detours" during our days. For example…
When you began your working career, was it a one-way street? Did you stay with the same employment for a long time or did you notice a road closure environment and you detoured to another job? Some of us are fortunate to follow the chosen road for a long time. Others of us notice that an employment detour might be a better choice for us. So be it -- it’s your choice at that time.
Another thought is this -- while in our local wine store and seeking my usual bottle of Chenin Blanc, I was informed the store no longer carried that specific brand of wine. Oops, road closed and a detour was called for at the moment. So, while wandering the store, I came across a bottle of a white blend by Pine Ridge. It was 80% Chenin Blanc and 20% Viognier. Hmmm … I like both of those wines so let’s go that route. The wine is really refreshing with tastes of peach and green apple. Lot’s of lively citrus flavors that reflect the minerality of the grape’s growing area in Napa Valley.
I’m glad that usual wine road was closed that day, and my detour was so perfect. Now, back to the family reunion journey.
Yes, I was concerned about how to get to our destination upon getting my usual route closed to us. However, we must use past experiences to get us past many closures, and fortunately, my past experiences helped get us around the first two road closures. Then, about a half mile from our destination, the street was closed for road work. OK sir, take a breath and just follow the detour signs. We drove through a beautiful neighborhood and arrived at our eatery on time. All’s good that ends good, and there’s nothing wrong with revisiting old neighborhoods.
We joined the members of our family, had a delicious lunch along with enjoyable conversations and laughs. A bonus moment was when our grandson challenged me to a battle of the thumbs. He beat me every time. I challenged him to some arm wrestling, and again, he beat me. Guess I need to practice more. It was an enjoyable detour from our usual conversations.
So, what do you do when life puts a road closed sign in your path? The answer, my friend, is to detour to a new road of life.
May your detours be fulfilling.
As always, eat and drink in moderation, but laugh with reckless abandon!
Cheers!