Shouting Inside

Car dealers think we’ll purchase vehicles based on the match between a car’s attributes and the image we want to reflect. After choosing a vehicle, we’ll decorate it with bumper stickers that highlight particular aspects of our personality, or our likes and dislikes.

On Wednesday, I spotted an interesting bumper sticker. The white van’s back window sticker read: You’re just jealous because the voices are talking to me. Some statements seem funny at first, but after living long enough, even the most innocent comments cause us to pause. Let’s not lose our sense of humor. Here’s someone not taking themselves too seriously:

                                         https://youtu.be/W_EfKoAmxOw

Even if that message made you smile, someone somewhere is flooring the gas pedal or cutting another driver off. A lot of people are struggling to overcome their hostilities, how do you do it? 

To Fall or Fly

The calendar tells the story of a new season’s arrival. We feel it in our bones with the falling temperatures and brisk winds. Before long, we’ll admire colorful bursts of red and orange leaves while sipping hot chocolate or tea. We’ll exchange flip flops and bathing suits for boots, hats, scarves, and coats in anticipation of what comes next. Wait. Before jumping to ahead to winter, let’s pause to crunch the leaves, savor fall’s natural beauty, and hang on to the moment. It might feel like this: 

                                         https://youtu.be/rKUipxR3bDc

Given those conditions, they better hold on to something solid before they’re blown away. The wind plays a one-sided tug-o-war game and it’s close to winning. A slightly stronger blast will send someone flying. If you feel like unseen hands tug at your life, pulling you in directions you don’t want to go, who or what would you put on the other side of that struggle? 

Perfectly Safe

Some people keep a tissue conveniently tucked inside their sleeve like they perform magic tricks. I thought about the tendency this week after feeling a little scratch on my wrist. I pulled up my sleeve and a—wait for it—moth fell out onto the floor. Shocking. How? When? Why?

I didn’t know whether to laugh or head to the medicine cabinet for antiseptic. I did both. In the normal course of a day, you never know how things will shake out. Who would’ve expected this:

                                     https://youtu.be/Rqi3jpBSyCc  

This could be the ultimate magic trick, except it’s not magic. Instead of uncovering unexpected things from beneath our clothing, here’s an example of an extraordinary outer covering that should save lives. In the middle of a crisis, what do you rely on, pull out, or turn to keep you safe?