Thursday 17 September 2009

Time Flies: 0903 - 0916

The last time I turned around I was in Edmonton.  That's the way it seems.  A two week period has slipped away before I could get my head around it.  It's odd the way we perceive time.  On the third and fourth I reset my hours of service in Edmonton.  For three days after that I spent my time straight lining across the prairies.  I recall those days as been very long.  On one hand time seems to pass in the blink of an eye and on the other it seems to drag on without end.

On those long days when time seems to be dragging it is difficult to stay in the present moment.  You don't have to be a long haul driver to experience this feeling.  When driving I'm sure most of you have experienced the sensation of looking in the rear view mirror, seeing a red traffic light behind you, then having to ask yourself the question: Did I just drive through a red light?  That is an example of not being in the present moment.  Your mind is elsewhere.  This is most definitely a job hazard long haul drivers experience.  When the weather is clear, the road is straight & clean and the traffic is light - that's a recipe for the mind to take a little detour of it's own.  Many driver's call this boredom.  It's a feeling that seems like it's never going to end.  It often leads to feelings of angst.

Most of the time your days are the opposite of those uneventful days that are dragged out.  They are filled with deliveries, pickups, bad weather, bad roads, bad drivers and too little time to accomplish too many tasks.  Your mind does not have time to be elsewhere, it is focused on the perpetual task at hand.  Many driver's call this stress or tension.  It's a feeling that seems like it's never going to end. It often leads to feelings of angst.

Talk about duality!!  On one hand the time available in our day bores us.  On the other the same amount of time stresses us out because there is too much to do.  On one hand we drive because we enjoy the freedom of the open road.  On the other hand we spend so much time driving it infringes on our personal lives and limits our freedoms.  We are gluttons for punishment aren't we?

Life is difficult!

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