Playing Interstate frogger

Interesting day at work. It was exceptionally quiet after dinner. I watched University of Charleston (as in WV) trail University of Tennessee until about 10 minutes left in the game then take over and win by 6. Fun game. Two great defensive teams head to head. I also read a while between infrequent phone calls. I am halfway through Night Comes to the Cumberland. A tough book to read. Not because of style or level but because of the content. Some of man’s history isn’t very pretty. And this is a gut wrenching story of tough times.

So how fast is 2K RPM in 5^th gear in my truck? 55 MPH, exactly. Now if I wanted to take US Route 11 all the way to work I can drive at 55 on all the open areas of the road. That is the speed limit. But the problem with Route 11 is that it runs through a significant size university town (it runs through the university for several blocks with traffic lights, crosswalks and lots of pedestrian traffic most of the day) Add in 5 little towns most with one or two traffic lights, an occasional tractor or other farm vehicle and the drive is hectic most days. And to drive it at night is taking chances of playing tag with large animals. The only redeeming feature of my drive on scenic, and it really is a pretty drive any time of the year, Route 11 is that it is not in either the morning or afternoon school zone times. If the drive was in those times it would be senseless to go that way.

But going up the Interstate at 55 isn’t bright night or day. So going up I set the cruise at 2300 RPM which turns out to be 65 MPH. Now 65 can be a little scary in certain congested areas where a lot of really dumb drivers believe observing the 60 MPH signs is a sign of weakness. But today I managed to pull it off without feeling I was endangering anyone. On the way home I was able to dial back down to 2200 RPM and run along at 60. Only had two trucks try to impress me with how close they could come and still not hit me. I really resent being bullied by those guys, but short of breaking the law I don’t know how to retaliate. I try to not watch them because one of the benefits to driving slower is being able to relax a bit. So I concentrate on not letting them worry me.

No idea how this will effect gas mileage, but I can say already am doing a little better. I’ll post mpg numbers when I figure them out.

Spent considerable time today thinking about a slogan I drafted and put on my computer as wallpaper. It says “It matters not how we got here, or where and how we are going, but rather what we do while we are here.”

Now in case you don't know me well enough to look through the rhetoric, let me explain that slogan for you. It isn't just a quick thought up slogan that has a catchy rhythm to it. OK, it isn't catchy and has no rhythm. But let me open up the meaning hidden within. The first part, how we got here, is a reference to the on going debate of creation vs evolution, or young earth vs old earth. The second part is a reference to the many theories of the earth's last days. As in rapture, Millennium, pre-trib, mid-trib, post-trib, Apocalypse, heaven, hell, purgatory,yadda yadda yadda vs a slowly decaying orbit of the planets and a consequential falling into the sun.

NO body, as in Noooobody knows the trouble I've seen... has solid evidence of how we as humans arrived at where we are now. And even fewer (only 3 at last count, humans that is, me and two others who will remain anonymous) know how time will end. And I've bribed the others to secrecy. But it doesn't take rocket science formulas to figure out what we need to be doing for each other while we are here.

Nothing earth shaking or perhaps even original. Maybe a paraphrase of others in fact. But when I look around and see all of the really terrible and tragic things happening in this world I know that nothing is quite as important as what we do while we have the opportunity. I can remember being very young in church and listening to occasional missionaries come to speak and having my heart tugged at to do the same. I can’t really put my finger on how or why I missed out doing something as challenging or important as giving my life to help someone who can never repay, but I did. And while I would trade all of my tomorrows for a real opportunity to go to an impoverished area and help make a difference, I am afraid I may now not have the courage to do so.

Even without going anywhere there are so many avenues one can help make real differences. I briefly mentioned in my last blog about the senatorial proceedings on child abuse in America. I wrote down some numbers but those are at work. If my memory can be trusted there was somewhere around 800,000 reported cases of child abuse in 2010. Reported. And how many go unreported because the victims are traumatized and afraid to come forward? For a host of reasons. In most cases the abuse is done by someone the child had complete trust in. 180,000 reported cases of sexual abuse. One Hundred and eighty thousand children sexually abused in this advanced and civilized nation of ours in a SINGLE YEAR.

Makes you want to puke.

So how do we make the best use of our lives? Not sure, but I’m looking for answers.

One thing I know, I wasted most of my life learning all the wrong things about why we are here. And now I am feeling sick.