Jesus take the Wheel

While I was driving down the I-15 the other day in road construction, My dear mother ( who was born and raised in rural West Virginia / Maryland, where there are dirt roads, gravel roads, single lane paved roads, and an occasional dual lane highway) exclaims, "Five lanes of highway, and they are building more?  I will never drive on this freeway or in downtown Salt Lake city. Can't I just take the side streets or Redwood road to get where I am going?"

I retort, "While there may me five lanes on the highway, you really only have to worry about the one are currently driving in. It's like having 7 days of the week, luckily you only have to deal with one day at a time, not all of them at once." 

"It's the other drivers I am worried about, what if they swerve into my lane or cut me off?" 

Another legitimate concern, but it is ultimately out of our control, what other drivers, pedestrians, animals, a falling tree or debris does or does not do on our road of existence. Same thing applies to all people, places, and things, of this fucked up world. The sooner we realize that no one can hurt us except ourself (and I have hurt myself an awful lot ingesting poison and expecting someone else to suffer from it),the sooner we can be on our way to freedom of more self-harm.

It all refers back to the principles I have learned and continue to learn in recovery. I can only control myself and stay in my lane while letting a power greater than me take care of the rest.  We must focus our attention to the present day we are living in, not dwelling on the past, nor worrying about the future. 

"Forget yesterday, yesterday has already forgotten you. Do not sweat tomorrow, you haven't even met yet. Instead, open your eyes and heart to a truly precious gift. Today"


No, I do not have this philosophy or way of life down pat. I struggle with it daily, so I must turn over my will as soon as I wake and then multiple times throughout the day. It gradually gets better, but I need to be constantly reminded that if I try to run the show, I will be the one swerving out of my lane, running red lights, crashing in my truck-boat-truck full of explosive gasoline.