Time management: perhaps you should have departed sooner…

2nd Oil

Time management: perhaps you should have departed sooner…

That’s my new bumper sticker. Well, it soon will be once I receive it in the mail next week.

Okay, so I’m the guy you hear about at work from one of your irate co-workers explaining why they are late for work—you know, the one who is late all the time. They will rant and rave about this guy in a perfectly healthy Jeep Liberty who apparently had nothing better to do than to hold up traffic and cause them to get caught by every light, and stop sign. They will not, however, take responsibility for their own lack of time management that led to their tardiness.

Yep, I’m the speed limit guy. Occasionally, I drive over the speed limit by a couple of mph but normally it’s the speed limit. If my wife wants to get somewhere in a more timely manner, she’ll offer to drive.

I must note that it drives me nuts when someone else drives under the speed limit when there are no reasons to do so, such as, inclement weather, construction, a parade or heavy traffic. I do my best to plan my events, manage my time to where I can get to where I’m going and be there on time. Even traveling the speed limit, I’m usually there ahead by 10 minutes or right on time. Sometimes I miss the mark but not by much (unexpected parades).   😉

You see, I used to be in a hurry and yell at all the other drivers for their mistakes. It was not pretty. My so-called road rage was really just inside my car most of the time with an occasional hand signal to other drivers to let them know I was not pleased with their road skills.

It took a while for me to mature in this area but now that I’m an olderly guy, I like having less stress in my life. I drive to work, at ease.  When I get to work, I’m calm and relaxed because I’ve had no drama to kick me up. I can recommend it to anyone who suffers from time mismanagement. If you have to, get up 10 minutes early.  Enjoy your coffee, watch the weather and traffic reports and leave at a time that is most convenient to you for you to enjoy your drive. If you have little kids, well, that’s on you–do your best.  Maybe people at work will notice your calmness and appreciate it.

I’ve started noticing landmarks that I previously did not know existed.  When people say to me, “You know, down by such a place or such a street,” I can say, “Yes, I do.”

Oh, to the guy in the little white Toyota that sped around me in the no passing zone and almost got hit by the firetruck…you know.

And to the rest of you that like to drive fast because you don’t care about rules and laws and think they don’t apply to you, don’t whine and cry if you are the survivor.

Jay 🙂

Every day is someone’s judgement day…be prepared or be extra careful.

 

Unique Perspectives

I enjoyed a picture today on g+ shared by Rose Barbara of which two snails were facing each other on a dew-dripped plant stem.  The photo had a blurred bright green of foliage background and sharp foreground of brilliant green, brown-orange snail shells, unique tan-colored snails and the crisp clearness of dew drops on the stem.  It was in itself, as a picture, a very striking view.  Many people commented that it was beautiful or romantic.  However, that is not the first thought that came to mind when I saw the photo.  My first thought was, impasse.  Though the photo may have been staged (who knows how long it would have taken them to get there in the first place just waiting for a person with a camera to happen by), my first thought was that these two snails were headed in different directions and neither was going to get there without the other giving up their position.  I know nothing of the snail anatomy, so I do not know if they can back up…possibly not.  I can surmise that if one attempted to continue forward but decided to do it from the underside of the stem that it would probably fall to the ground–gravity sort of works that way.  In addition, if one did not turn around and both head in the same direction, then perhaps one would over power the other and slime over it and continue on its way leaving the other behind wondering what had happened–that is if snails wonder.  I wish them the best but as my cousin said, “because of that photo, they’re stuck there forever.”

In another scenario, I spoke with a few acquaintances this morning about what President Obama proposed to do about undocumented persons in our country.  One person said he was fit to be tied because of the blatant disregard for the Constitution and the laws that govern the position of the president (he is a natural-born US citizen).  Another, who is a legal immigrant said that the president didn’t go far enough and he should legalize everyone and give them jobs because they work hard.  He said that it is not fair that Canadians can come and go all they want with only a driver’s license for identification.  He is from a country in Africa. On securing the border, he said that it could not be done and presented the analogy of a jar of sugar with a lid on it–the ants will find a way to get to the sugar.  Yet, another legal immigrant that said it took her 7 years to go through the system to establish permanent residency for she and her family.  She said that she felt cheated.  I spoke to a woman who is undocumented (actually, that is not true–she has four drivers licenses with four different names and addresses) who said that she is relieved because now she can legally be herself.  I suggested she hold off a little while longer until all the details get worked out.  And then there is me.  They all wanted to know what I think.  Well, I do believe that the president does not have legal authority to ignore, alter or decide to not follow the laws already on the books.  One of them asked me what I would do if I were president and the Congress failed to act.  I said that the first thing I would do, after exhausting all attempts at persuading congress, is to go the Mexican president and ask him if he would like to be annexed by the United States and then we would take care of that little cartel thingy.  If he said yes, then I would do my best to persuade the American citizens of why this would be beneficial the United States and proceed accordingly if the American voters approved.  If he said no, then I would do my best to persuade the American citizens of why it would be a good idea to conquer Mexico and change their government and economic landscape.  WHAT!  Extreme perspectives have a way of capturing someone’s attention.  And of course the look on their faces was priceless.

So, we each have our own unique perspectives in life.  Whether we see a photo of a cute snails, kittens or puppies; whether we see or are affected by weather, bad guys or politicians, we each take away a different story depending on our perspective.  Some things happen to us or because of our actions; some things affect us.

As a Christian I have a different view of life that someone of another religion or no religion has regardless of what is placed before us.  Each day we make choices based on knowledge of presented or known facts — and yes, sometimes the facts are different depending on the point of view.  Keep in mind, though, sometimes the facts are lies placed before us to persuade our perspective.

I do think many things in life could be solved by sitting down with someone over a cup of coffee with cocoa mixed in for added sweetness and flavor and sharing our perspectives without trying to change someone’s mind about something–just sharing–but then again, that’s just my perspective.

 

Jay 🙂