Living Outside the Lines: “Wrong Way, Joe!”

by, Becky J Miller

Road signs are great at providing guidance to drivers, particularly when the terrain is unfamiliar. They deliver invaluable instruction, STOP! YIELD! RIGHT LANE ENDS! Were it not for road signs, there would likely be higher numbers of traffic fatalities and probably many more people driving around in circles because they are lost. For artistic integrity here, we will pretend that Siri, Google Maps, and navigation systems have yet to be invented.

Saturdays my husband I usually run from our home, cross Highway 123 and head down McCarty going the wrong way. At the very beginning of McCarty there is a large red and white sign that says, “WRONG WAY”. Since runners are supposed to run against traffic, the sign always makes me smile. It isn’t intended for us, but for the drivers of four thousand pounds of metal that can inflict serious damage when not handled responsibly.

Just as road signs warn of impeding danger, changes in road patterns, and remind us to proceed with caution, would our existence be easier to navigate if there were such indicators on this journey we call life? Maybe yes, but probably no. More than likely, we would ignore the life signs, similar to the way we drive through deep water despite the, “danger flood water” warnings, or resembling the way we speed through a red light when we have plenty of time to stop.

Imagine this, you are cruising along in your job, and everything is going well. You love what you do. Your boss adores you. Your clients rave about you. You are on the verge of a huge promotion when suddenly signs pop up that say, “STOP!” “WRONG WAY!” Would you heed the counsel of some inanimate road sign? Doubtful. After all, there are no physical indications that anything is amiss. To the naked eye, all seems well. So, you ignore the warnings, accept the promotion and continue on your merry way.

Two months later, after you have completely forgotten about the ignored warnings, the bottom drops out; your company is found guilty of insider trading charges, your boss goes to jail, and you lose your job, your home, your retirement, your company car and your savings, barely managing to keep the shirt on your back. Naturally, you are devastated, fully regret your decision, and think that if you could go back you would choose a different course. But would you, really?

Truth is, we do have life-warning signs, best known by the common name, “conscience”. Admittedly, there are those times when life rips the rug right out from under us with no forewarning, but most times, as the saying goes, hindsight is 20/20, and had we stopped to really listen with our heart, we would have seen the caution lights.

Why do we ignore the signs?  Well, changing directions is no easy task; think about an eighteen-wheeler, those things are not easy to accelerate, maneuver, or stop.  Our life’s course can be just as difficult to manage as driving a big rig.

The Fray’s 2005 album, How to Save a Life includes the song, “All at Once.” My favorite verse from that song says, “Sometimes the hardest thing and the right thing are the same.” That one lyric fully explains how we manage to ignore the warning signs, because, well, the things they ask of us can be hard.

Perhaps we would be better off making the difficult decisions rather than ignoring them. Perhaps we would be happier if we looked for the warnings and changed direction versus having to clean up the aftermath. Perhaps, next time there’s a sign that says, “Wrong Way, Joe” you will alter your course. Perhaps.

Until Next Time,

Becky J Miller

“Warrior Princess”