What do you do during your day? I'm a writer, but I'm also much more. I'm a wife, mother, grandmother, fur-baby mother and a truck driver. I have lots of extended family members, friends and neighbors. Each one of these contacts influences me, and I influence them.
What makes me special? I'm an ordinary old lady. Follow me for a day: I get up from the sleeper that's located in the back of my truck, it may be 5 am or it may be 8 pm or any time in-between, depends on when my husband/partner finishes his shift. I pour my coffee, do my logbook and climb behind the wheel of an eighteen-wheeler. There's time to think while I'm driving and to pray. I talk on the phone, listen to the XM radio, and books on tape or stories on the Kindle. People pass, absorbed in their own little worlds, some on the phone, some chatting with the person next to them, some texting and I've seen some reading the newspaper. Wow—close call. The car just cut me off, not knowing that it takes the length of a football field for me to stop. Vehicles surround me on every side, pushing, nudging, passing, cursing or waving—sometimes with one finger and sometimes using their whole hand. I love it when people blink their lights at me in traffic to allow me to change lanes or give me the honk- the- air horn- sign. Eleven hours later my shift ends. I return to the sleeper to read, watch TV, write or play on the computer.
Of course, different days create different events. I also snap many photographs, play with my dog, walk with my husband, and visit with friends when we get a chance to stop. My time at home is an entirely different world. To me, my life isn't that interesting; it's my day job or it's my family time, yet there are so many golden nuggets and bits of wisdom that I can share with my readers, because I am me and I'm different from everyone else. That makes me interesting. That makes me important. I spend a lot of my time making notes or recording thoughts. I read that we each have approximately 65,000 thoughts a day. Thoughts are like my days, repetitive and of no particular relevance--then whammy--the greatest idea ever comes to me. Therefore, it's essential to keep your mind clean and open, one way of doing that is to have a place to store things to remember or review later. When I think of stringing ideas together, I always think of the Old Spice I'm on a horse commercial.
What makes me special? I'm an ordinary old lady. Follow me for a day: I get up from the sleeper that's located in the back of my truck, it may be 5 am or it may be 8 pm or any time in-between, depends on when my husband/partner finishes his shift. I pour my coffee, do my logbook and climb behind the wheel of an eighteen-wheeler. There's time to think while I'm driving and to pray. I talk on the phone, listen to the XM radio, and books on tape or stories on the Kindle. People pass, absorbed in their own little worlds, some on the phone, some chatting with the person next to them, some texting and I've seen some reading the newspaper. Wow—close call. The car just cut me off, not knowing that it takes the length of a football field for me to stop. Vehicles surround me on every side, pushing, nudging, passing, cursing or waving—sometimes with one finger and sometimes using their whole hand. I love it when people blink their lights at me in traffic to allow me to change lanes or give me the honk- the- air horn- sign. Eleven hours later my shift ends. I return to the sleeper to read, watch TV, write or play on the computer.
Of course, different days create different events. I also snap many photographs, play with my dog, walk with my husband, and visit with friends when we get a chance to stop. My time at home is an entirely different world. To me, my life isn't that interesting; it's my day job or it's my family time, yet there are so many golden nuggets and bits of wisdom that I can share with my readers, because I am me and I'm different from everyone else. That makes me interesting. That makes me important. I spend a lot of my time making notes or recording thoughts. I read that we each have approximately 65,000 thoughts a day. Thoughts are like my days, repetitive and of no particular relevance--then whammy--the greatest idea ever comes to me. Therefore, it's essential to keep your mind clean and open, one way of doing that is to have a place to store things to remember or review later. When I think of stringing ideas together, I always think of the Old Spice I'm on a horse commercial.
That commercial goes to show what a clear mind can achieve. We can be anywhere and do anything we want. We can turn thoughts into diamonds and horses. We can glean golden nuggets from our very own lives. Leave us a comment and tell us what's special in your life? Do you perceive things that others miss?
Image link: http://www.momares.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/old-spice-man-570x318.png
9 comments:
"We can turn thoughts into diamonds and horses. We can glean golden nuggets from our very own lives."
What great lines! Yes, we are all special. I needed this post today, more than I can say. I needed that reminder that I may be an "ordinary old lady," but I am also a writer whose words have touched people around the world.
What's special in my life is found within the lines of my blogs, my articles, my stories and poems.
Thanks again for the reminder!
Wonderful post. I would say what is special in my life is by far my son and my best friend. He is about to embark on his freshman year in high school and it just rattles my mind that he is that old. I'm thankful he turned out to be such a wonderful young man. I'm also blessed with such a great best friend. We have talked just about everyday for over 25 years. She knows me better than my husband! She encourges me on when I feel like tossing in the "writing towel" and reminds me just to never give up.
I have had some pebbles in my life, but I for sure have two diamonds!
Great post! Loved it!
Linda, I can tell you are special. I'm glad the post reminded you about it. See, you just touched my life. :+)
Tara, you are blessed. Your son sounds like a young man to be proud of and you are lucky to have a best friend who tells you like it is. I have what I call my "Posse", several friends I call on a regular basis (especially when I'm driving). I think they both found a diamond in you too.
Thanks Ruth, I'm so glad you liked the post. Isn't that commercial brilliant?
What a great world you've paintged here. You remind me of my character, Lizzie, who's also a truck driver...(we still need to talk), and who loves her job. But as you've mentioned here, there is so much more to you than being a truck driver. There's a life beyond our jobs. Right? Enjoyed this post.
Come and visit. I have the first chapter posted in my blog.
painted and not paintged...oye!
Thanks Henya. Glad you liked it. I will be by your blog. I'm pretty curious about your truck-driving Gal. We are all so deep and we don't even realize it.
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