Re-evaluation of Life

[BB_TX]

Tuesday morning, 6am, driving to work, thinking about work that I had to finish that morning to make a deadline, 2 blocks from work after driving 30 miles, WHAM, slammed into a Chevy Tahoe at an intersection. Even though I have driven that path for the last 31 years, I was so totally deep in thought, I ran thru the red light. I never saw him. We were both going 30+ mph. My left front corner hit dead on his right front corner, totalling both vehicles. Amazingly, except for a few bruises, scrapes, and soreness, we are both OK. If I had been a second sooner, he would have hit direct in my drivers door and ???? A second later and I would have hit direct in his passenger door and ???? Someone was watching out for both of us. 40+ years of driving and that was my first accident. He or I could easily be laid up in the hospital, or worse.
After a couple days of reflection, I realized that I had become part of the hellbent fastpaced urban crowd that I had so disliked. Born, raised, and still live in small town, but I have been driving into the city to work all these years. In the last 15 years the relaxing country drive in and out, has become a nightmare of traffic congestion, speeding, and generally aggressive driving. If you are not doing at least 5-10 over the limit, there is someone on your back bumper. And I had merged right into that.
The last 2 mornings, I have driven in at the speed limit. Letting all the other traffic just blow on by. And you know, it was more relaxing and less stressful than trying to race my way thru all the traffic and get there maybe 5 minutes sooner.
I am going to try to stay more laid back like I used to be. I had planned to retire and build a house on my rural land in about 4 years. Now I am thinking it will be much sooner than that. Even if I have to give up my current job and go to work at HD or TSC. /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif Life is just too short to waste it.
Sorry for the long post. These events just made me rethink where I am and needed to put these thoughts down somewhere.

 

[LarryRB]

nothing wrong with what you said here, in fact I agree wholeheartedly.. As we travel through our lifes paces, there are times that an instantaneous attitude/or other adjustment just comes into play.. It is then, we reflect and ask, how come and what will I do different starting tomorrow..Glad to see you figured it out just as quickly.. Some never do..

 

[Boondox]

Wow, Bill! Glad to hear there was only property damage! /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif But jeez, what is it about us that requires such a close call to make changes in our lives? Why can't we just ponder life over a cold beer and decide to change things?

Ahem, one of the mysteries of life. Take care, my friend.

Pete

 

[riptides]

Glad to hear your OK. Glad to hear the other person is OK too...

Everyday is a new oppertunity. Anything can happen. Make the best of it. Cherish it. Try and do good, try and be good.

Enjoy the simple things and the pace of life....

-Mike Z. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Egon]

Glad to hear there where no injuries.

Egon

 

[DAP]

Bill ... I commute 120 miles a day. I live in what is inarguably one of the most gorgeous parts of the US (Hudson Valley) and work on an island that is 8 miles long, 4 miles wide, has 8.5 million permanent residents and sees 10 million other commuters swarm to it each day coming from 4 states.
THEE rush, hoards, masses, steel and concrete, during the day, horses goats, wildlife, gardens, feed stores, mountains and the ghosts of our nations history on weekends.

I'm up at 4:50am and home at 7:05pm. That leaves about 9 out of the 24 per day to sleep, eat, bathe, be a homeowner, a husband, friend, and a large ETCETERA.

Tain't nearly enough.

Your "re-evaluation" has been part of my daily thought process for many years.

You aint alone my friend.

It goes without saying that it's a good thing noone was injured. Busting up a coupla trucks sucks too though. There's a silver lining in there somewhere, so concentrate on finding it.



/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[DAP]

Pete, if I recall, we both love the 'old stuff'. We both live in areas that contain the richest parts of this nations history, etc.

The answer to why is it so hard to just change things?

I believe that after the invention of the combustion engine, and subsequently the information revolution, the social science of the world began to CHANGE more frequently, with greater speed, and lastly to a more intense nature.

Change is always hard. External stimuli exhibiting its forces on the inert. Change is harder now than ever before historically. It isn't going to trend downward for any time soon that I can see either.

Walking around my 214 yo house, noting those boards over there with 2 centuries of foot wear on em, looking at the ax marks someone created when shaping a floor joist here, seeing bubbles in some early glass panes, looking on a small but pronounced mountain out the front door that EVERYONE who's ever walked these floors looked out on ... one has to be somewhat envious of the time when things CHANGED slower, less frequently and with somewhat less consequences.

/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[slowrev]

I fully understand, although it did not take an accident for me to give up the rushing to destruction lifestyle. I lived in Tampa Florida, worked in "cubeville" about 60 hrs each week ( salaried of course ) . It seemed that someone with too much on their mind tried to kill me on the road at least a couple of times a week. Lived in upscale suburbia with all of the deed restrictions and the like, poor quality neighbors, etc...Moved to KY, really out in the sticks on a small farm, live in an old small house, hang out at the small country store 1/2 mile from home that sells anything from Off road diesel to bolts and nails. Great neighbors, don't even have to lock up my car in the drive. I work from home testing software with a flexible schedule, and am building up my farm for enough income in a few years to pay my bills if the testing job gives out. I LOVE IT! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
I scaled down my lifestyle but upscaled my lifequality.

Ben

 

[om21braz]

Glad to hear everyone is OK ! That's the main thing - secondly, the fact that you're able to intellegently reflect on the situation. Thanks for posting as many of us are in the same predicament and need reminding to "stop and smell the roses". Also to thank the Good Lord for the many blessings received daily.

 

[NSBound]

Hi Bill:

I too suspect many of us are in the same position, and hoping to do something about it. Glad you came through such a scary accident OK.

For 15 years I was driving about 30 miles each way on expressways around Toronto - stop & go, grind it out traffic from one end to the other. Then someone pointed out a bit of a longer route through beautiful countryside with lower speed limits - past farms, rolling hills, etc. Takes me 10 minutes longer but I arrive feeling so much better at both ends of the trip! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

And I too have accelerated retirement plans. I'm going as soon as I can - don't want to be one of those you so often hear about who work until they can get maximum pension, then retire and die 2 months later.

I start property improvement in 3 weeks on my 12 acres of heaven in Nova Scotia, on a salt water river with bald eagles nesting on my property, seals at the shoreline, etc. The driveway is coming first - I can hardly wait to get down there!!!

Life can be so enjoyable, if you remind yourself so.

 

[8NTX]

Bill,
Glad to hear that everyone came out OK in your accident. Sometimes it takes a little bump or jolt to bring us to our senses, and make us realize that we're not getting any younger and if you wait too long to realize your dream, it might just be too late. Happened to my dad, and I don't want it to happen to me. I'm ready to leave the burbs of Big D and move to our place in the country. Gonna keep on workin', cause frankly we will need the income for a while, and I can do it out of the house. But the wife is tied down to her business and won't be ready to leave for 5 or 6 years. I have promised myself that I would get out of the mad rush before I turn 60. Good luck with your upcoming changes.

Steve

 

[WVBill]

Bill - First, glad to hear you and the other guy came out of the accident without serious injury.

Second, thanks for the "wake up call". Like you and others, I drive 150 miles round trip every day to my job in the city (Washington DC) so my wife and I can enjoy the beautiful life out in the country (Shenandoah Valley). I'm up at 4:50 and drive 70mph to keep up with the traffic to get to work by 5:30 so I can rush home and relax.

I think I'll "take a lesson" and let off the gas pedal some.

This thread kind of reminds me of the Country song by Tim McGraw "Live like you were dying."
Lyrics Here

 

[BB_TX]

Definitely a wake up call. You go thru life fat, dumb, and happy and then in an instant, you are faced with the reality of how close to edge we really are. The other guy was totally innocent and out of the blue, someone slams into him. I am so thankful he was not hurt.
Looking at our trucks, it is still amazing we are both not in the hospital.
I wish I could find a new "back way" to work, but there are none around here any more. I am thinking I will cut my 4 yr retirement plan down to 2 yrs. Then move to the farm and enjoy the grandkids. Got 2 now, another due in August and I want to watch them grow up. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[wroughtn_harv]

It's times like that when you appreciate all the technology invested in seatbelts, airbags, and crush zones. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

While I haven't been in an accident of any substance in so many years that wasn't on a track I still understand that we're all riding on a very thin line separating us from catastrophe. So I don't blink a minute when I see someone toodling down the road with a kiddo or two loose. I dial that cell phone and hope the cops have time to give them a ticket.

You don't have to be doing a thing wrong for catastrophe to visit out of the blue. And if the seat belt isn't on or the kid's loose in the back seat................

I'm glad that everything worked out where no one was hurt. That would have been hard on you. I can tell. A less caring person would've blamed fate. You would have taken it to heart.

 

[Boone]

Hi Bill, Glad to here no one was hurt from this.

I go the speed limit and let the folks drive past. It works out just fine and I haven't a speeding ticket in 20 years or so.

If folks get to aggresive you could look at getting a surplus squad car for driving to work. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif