Daily Dose of Sultnpapper 08/29/18> back on the road and not…Life in the Fast Lane.
Have I...Sure I have ...
Have I ever told you I do a lot of driving? Sure I have, upwards of 40 to 45 thousand miles a year, but it wasn’t until Tuesday on my trip to San Antonio that something hit me and another revelation came into my mind.
In the last century...
Back in the mid 70’s of the last century I was fresh out of high school and I knew everything there was to know in life, or at least I thought I did like most young males. It was in 1976 a singing group that went be the name the Eagles released a song titled “Life in the Fast Lane”, I can’t remember just how well that song did but I remember it was on the album Hotel California which I know did extremely well in sales.
Life in the fast lane...
On my trip over to San Antonio on Interstate 10 the speed limits once you get a couple counties west of Houston jumps up to 75 MPH and people use every bit of that 75MPH and then some, but I have chosen to take the slow lane at this point in my life. While watching as I am being passed by just about every type of vehicle that was on the highway that old song, Life in the Fast Lane, came to my mind.
An accurate description...
While I couldn’t remember all the lyrics to that song as I was driving I could remember the opening line which is, “He was a hard headed man, he was brutally handsome.” That line right there was probably an accurate description of me when I was in my late 20’s and early 30’s you would never know it by looking at me today but trust me, I cleaned up pretty well back then and I had all the right lines when it came to catching the ladies.
Lose your mind...
Another line of the song I also remembered but I did go and google it just so I wouldn’t leave a word out or add a word but even plus or minus a word it is easy to understand, “Life in the fast surely make you lose your mind.”
Just how fast...
I see a bunch of people in the fast lane every time I am on the freeways and I am almost afraid now when I drive the freeways that song will keep coming to mind, because I think most of those people may in fact have lost their minds. Just how damn fast does a person need to travel down the highway?
Like I am sitting still...
I do 70MPH in the slow lane and I kid you not, there are people passing me on the left that make me feel like I am sitting still in a parked car. One semi truck on Tuesday loaded with four big coils of rolled steel passed me and he had to be well into the 90MPH range of speed. The air turbulent coming off from his truck shook my truck as he blew by me. I had seen him coming in my mirror so it didn’t startle me but had I not known he was coming, and hauling ass, it might very well have.
Absolute truth...
For that driver, “life in the fast lane surely make you lose your mind” was the absolute truth. I was expecting to see him pulled off on the side of the highway at some point ahead by one of the state sponsored highway robber gangs know as the police, but if anyone ever deserved to be robbed it would be him, I never did see him on the side of the road though.
Can it be taught...
But thinking as I was driving made me realizes one thing that is hard to teach, if it can be taught at all, and that is patience. I used to be a pretty impatient person but as I have gotten older I think the one thing that has grown is my patience. The Papper kids are extremely lucky that they came around later in my life and not back when I was in my 20’s or early 30’s and that probably could be said for the Mrs. as well.
Impatient and a fighter...
Not only was I impatient; I was also one of those people who never let the opportunity of a good fight go by without at least giving it a good go. Sure I got my butt kicked a few times, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t, but I never walked away from a fight out of fear. There were two that I look back on and wish I had, but even those taught me a lesson.
Like I said...
Like I said earlier, I don’t know if you can teach patience but I can see in the oldest boy some of the same characteristics of me when I was younger and I need to work on him more about a couple of those. He is at the point that he knows everything in his mind and so I am challenged with that to begin with, just like I was.
Maybe some lessons...
So I think I will work on teaching him how to pace himself, it seems young folks know nothing about pacing. He is always in hurry, hurry to work, hurrying to the gym, hurry to here, hurry to there, it shouldn’t be like that and so he needs some pacing lessons.
Why all the pushing...
I think one thing that might have something to do with the lack of learning to pace yourself when it comes to kids is that the education system is always pushing them. “Hurry up and get busy with your paper” is something I heard plenty of times coming out of teachers mouths. Instead of encouraging the kids to take their time and think about what it is they have as the task at hand and then going about it in a steady methodical way. How can you write something you haven’t even thought of yet? I know plenty of people who say things they haven’t thought of yet and they usually end up having to go back and straighten up a mess because of it.
The album Hotel California...
Somewhere in that old wooden orange crate that I have all my old vinyl albums in, there is a copy of the Hotel California album from back in the 70’s and I need to see if the old turntable stills works and spin it this weekend for old times’ sake. I might just be sure to play it when the oldest boy is around too.
Let me take this call...
As luck would have it the Mrs. called while I was writing this since we couldn’t have our evening chat outside looking at the stars and the sky so I found the Eagles on You Tube and have it playing in the background as I am finishing up here. The Eagles were a really good group in my opinion, and I was born and raised on country music, so that is something coming from me. Here is a link to the single, Life in the Fast Lane, go take a listen to it now
Final thought...
“Don’t let the sounds of your own wheels drive you crazy”, Eagles.
Until next time,
@sultnpapper
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Geez 70 in the slow lane? Must be wide open space over there. Life in the slow lane will also drive you crazy :music: . Surprising also that a giant truck is doing that too. Well let's see what happens when cars start to drive themselves....
I never gave it much thought to the self driving cars but I can tell you that on the highways in Texas the will flat get run over if they aren't equipped with a program that takes into account the fact the most people speed on Texas highways , people like me who actually drive 5mph under the limit are pretty rare, but the truck I drive is over 200,000 miles and I just don't trust her anymore at over 70mph.
Welcome to the #steemitbloggers community! So glad you're there now! 😊
Thank you Kitty. I see a lot of familiar folks and a bunch of new ones I am eager to get to know better.
I remember that song by the Eagles; my favourite was take it to the limit once again
The Eagles had plenty of great music, Take it to the limit is definitely on that list.
The Eagles are definitely a good one
They were/are one of my favourites from back then
I wish you the best reaching through to your son
I guess we have all been there, youth makes one feel invincible 😊
Thank you @kaerpediem for the best wishes, he listens when I am able to corral him long enough to visit with him. I am on the road a lot during the week and so it is harder once they get where they are also mobile and free to move about without the parents needing to take them places.
Youthfulness does have a way of making one feel invincible, a good butt kicking every now and then helps keep that in check though.
hahaha
Yes, a good butt kicking helps put things in perspective,
at least for awhile
Then it's to rinse and repeat (that's for mine) 😊
So much great thinking during a drive. I must say you have spoken so much wisdom to us readers. I tend to be impatient sometimes but I will remind myself before reaching the destination that the process matters as much as the destination. Thanks for such great sharing, @sultnpapper :)
#steemitbloggers
When the radio in my truck quit working a couple months ago that was a good thing and I am glad I haven't fixed it, gives me a lot more time to think about things and not be influenced by the talk shows I used to listen too.
That's a wise decision itself! I love thinking in my car when I'm driving. It's like suddenly I can hear myself clearer.
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I thought I would miss it, but I actually love it now. I don't need Rush telling me how I should think about things and that went on way to long, I would bet he is still talking about the "Russia " investigations if I had to guess, at least once or twice a week.
First things first. I am a huge Eagles fan. I may have been raised on both kinds of music (Country AND Western) but I tipped that over pretty fast and became a dedicated Rocker. Rolling Stones.
Anyway, for the record: Last week (as announced by Rolling Stone Magazine) The Eagles Greatest Hits moved into #1 Album sales of all time passing Michael Jackson's Thriller.
I just got a new desktop, and all that blank storage space gave me an idea. I'm putting some of my archival music on that space, with the thought to making playlists for Connie. First album I put on? The Eagles Greatest Hits.
Man, when I am on the freeway (which is as seldom as I can make it) I am a player. I do not, under any circumstance want to be run over by one of those asshats. And if you think the wind turbulence is bad for you, think of what I get.
I did a little fighting myself as a young man. My Dad taught me to box young, and just a little knowledge went a really long way in a 'non formal' situation. The couple of times it didn't help I learned a lesson. My nose didn't just grow like this, it was influenced.
Good luck with your eldest. I know with me, it just took some time. Like years :) The patience for some things was always there, like fishing and training animals. But I picked up some lessons along the trail with that, too.
I couldn't imagine the wind that you get on that bike, it would be a force for sure. The Eagles are a favorite of mine as well, right behind George Strait and cousin Lyle.
I also gave the oldest boy some "boxing" lessons starting back when I had to be on my knees so we would be he same height. The Mrs. didn't much appreciate it as she was worried he would end up getting thrown out of school for fighting. He only got in one fight in school that we are aware of and that took place after school in the football locker room when he was a sophomore and a senior player thought he would be an easy target, short heavy set kid. The boy said he warned the kid three times not to F with him and the kid did anyway. The boy said he hit this kid with a left jab that sent that senior to the floor with no waste of time and he didn't get back up without others to help him up.
His coach had to have a mandatory talk with him and in that closed door talk the coach told him don't worry you are not in trouble, he had it coming to him from what the witnesses said. But he was more interested where and how he learned to throw a punch like that.
It is important to know how to defend yourself and schools are the worst place in the world when it comes to allowing that.
I think the boy has a pretty good head on his shoulders but he needs to learn to slow down a little when it comes to rushing around, being in a hurry all the time isn't good and just creates stress.
Personally, I’m a long ways off from slowing down, or even wanting to slow down, so most of what you’ve written here is a foreign concept to me.
For me it’s about opportunity cost. If I can move through the “filler” parts of life as quickly as possible, then I get to spend more time on the more meaningful and enjoyable parts. My thought anytime I see someone doing less than the speed limit is “how much must they hate their family that they are in no hurry to get back to them?” Not to mention the practical concern of it actually being more dangerous to travel at slower speeds than the flow of traffic.
I guess today I just don’t see eye to eye with you on this. But the funny thing is that one day I will probably be in your shoes as well, and some snot nosed millennial (or whatever it’ll be in the future) will come and tell me how they disagree with me, too 😅
Great post though, thought provoking and edifying even I don’t relate to it. Thanks for posting, you’ve got a new follower 🙂
Well good to meet you @dollarsandsense and welcome to the Daily Dose. Foreign concepts, just like foreign languages, aren't learned in one lesson or one day so I am glad to see you as new follower and hope to have you back again.
I would have to disagree with only one thing mentioned about speed and speed limits. The interstate highways have multiple lanes for a reason and being in the slow lane at 5mph under the max speed limit isn't a dangerously slow speed and there are two flows of traffic or more depending on how many lanes there are. I stay out of the way of the fast lane folks and haven't had a ticket or caused an accident in over 17 years so I must not be that dangerous, actually never have caused an accident.
Things happen fast at 75mph and most people drive way to close together at those speeds, driving the freeway isn't like driving a NASCAR race at Daytona or Indy where drafting is supposed to take place. Most people don't have the experience or the reactions to be doing it and I see plenty of multi vehicle accidents every year as proof.
The most important thing for me when I am away from home is to make it back safely to my family, and if I might be 10 or 20 minutes later than I might possibly could have by driving well above the speed limit and being in those packs of inexperienced drivers drafting down the highway so be it. So the reason I drive like I do is because I know the risk isn't worth the reward, and if I lose a few minutes at least that is all I have lost and not my life as I have seen happen in those multi vehicle accidents.
So it is actually that I love my family and living; that I tend not to let the the chance of 10 or 20 "extra" minutes take away the opportunity of hours, days and years that might be lost.
I am sure you have heard the saying that there are two sides to every coin, but the reality is there are three, and when you start looking at things from different perspectives everything starts to change.
The daily dose is a free speech zone and I encourage all comments whether agreeing or disagreeing so feel free to comment all you like on any subject.
Thanks again, look forward to seeing you back here.
Thank you for the reply and the warm welcome!
On a multi lane highway I agree with you that the right lane is a perfectly acceptable place to drive a little more slowly. My complaints are with the people who go slow in the left lane, or travel 30 in a 45 on a country road. There are actually several states who will now issue a ticket for this, most recently I believe was Virginia ($100 fine!).
I do enjoy gettting other’s perspectives, particularly those that I may not have much in common with. It’s worthless to surround yourself with people who just parrot what you think - you will never grow. So, glad to be here, and looking forward to reading more!
You are most welcome and you are are correct, confirmation bias is something that people seldom ever realize and I was lucky enough to run across a local radio personality in Austin Texas that taught me that lesson just a couple of years ago.
I could not stand listening to that guy when he first came on in the two o'clock hour but it was only a one hour show and I liked the traffic reports that station gave and I liked the hosts of the program that followed his show so I never bothered changing the station to get away from him, it was one of the best decisions I made. I learned a lot about how I was viewing things after listening to him for about 3 months. I never really got to the point that I liked him, but I will admit he did open my eyes, which had blinders on them.
Heh, a very similar thing happened to me listening to Morning Joe.