Nowadays if you're looking for me, I can be found at home recording a podcast episode on Spotify radio, posting to Facebook, writing an article or story, or working on a piece of paper mache art jewelry.
These days, I don't do much driving because of my job, and because of the covid crisis. And while there are some days where I miss being around other people, I don't miss all of the driving time, especially during the winter months.
In all honesty, I don't mind driving as long as it's a good day, great weather, and very little traffic, but then once it turns dark or the roads get slick, all bets are off and I'm freaking myself out in a matter of seconds.
Several years ago we woke up to a heavy snowstorm that our local news station and Kansas Highway Patrol had warned us about.
It was still dark when I finally decided to attempt the drive rather than lose a day's pay or defend my reasons why I shouldn't be driving a KIA 20 miles one way to my boss or anyone else. I was even amazed by the fact that my little car's doors hadn't frozen shut as they normally would have in freezing temperatures.
But as I slowly pulled out of town and down that long stretch of highway, I began to wonder if this was really worth risking my life for. I felt my car begin to slide even before I made that turn off to another town and over a hill I feared would be the death of me.
As it turned out, it wasn't, so I continued the drive until I realized just right outside of that little town, I wasn't going to make it to work. The snow had gotten so heavy that I could no longer see outside my windshield and drifts were now forming on the roads that were making them dangerously slick. By the time I was able to turn back around, the roads were so heavily impacted with snow that my tires wouldn't stay on the road, and ended up in a ditch on the side of the road.
By that time, my heart was racing hard enough I thought I was having a heart attack, but I knew I had to make two calls unless I wanted to freeze to death too.
I called my partner to let him know I was in a ditch and needed his help, then I called my boss to explain what had happened and listen to why it was a problem because I wasn't at work.
I was in no mood to defend my reasons, so I simply hung up and waited for my partner to arrive. Let me tell you, that was the longest 20 minutes of my life.
But here's the best part of all, I made it, even though I still have those freak out moments.
I mean hey, we are all scared of something, right? Whether it's the fear of driving, or being afraid of what others think of you, or maybe just worrying that you won't succeed, we are all scared in some way, some form.
And then, that determination kicks in when the situation is a must and even though you're still scared crapless. But no matter how scary the situation is, if you face your fear head-on, then chances are your want is bigger than what you're actually scared of. Focus on the WANT, the goal.
And remember, every time you find the courage to push yourself, you're putting that scary moment in its place and stepping out of your comfort zone. It's simply the only way to know just how much you are really capable of doing, even if it is just a little bit out of that zone.
