Bumps In The Road

There isn't a person alive that hasn't or doesn't experience a bump in the road now and again. Although bumps in the road come in both negative and positive forms, we often gloss over the positive ones while saving our focus for those that are negative. The negative bumps can come in a variety of ways and with varying decrees of intensity and size. For example a family member was just fired from their job. This has caused a major bump in the road as it represents half of their income and all of their health insurance. They are now asking the question, "What next?” Bumps in the road are great opportunities for learning and growth, if we choose to use them in that manner. But it would seem that more often then not, we want to quickly get through them and move on. We seem to have the belief that if we ignore them long enough that they will go away and life will return to normal. I wish that this was always true, but it is not. Recently I was talking with a retired Navy Chaplain and was sharing some of my experience in the Navy during the Vietnam era. As I shared, I suddenly became aware of emotion starting to bubble up from deep within me. With tears in my eyes I apologized and explained that this was why I didn't like to discuss that time in my life and often looked for ways to avoid it. Ultimately, I believe that there are experiences from that time that I have glossed over and stuffed that are trying to get out. Like bumps in the road, I learned that I didn't have time to deal with things, and so just moved on. Sadly, moving on doesn't resolve the conflict that has already been started, and moving on doesn't solve the problem, it only delays the pain for another day. My point is simple. Bumps in the road serve a purpose, we have a choice, work through the event and learn from it, or press on and pretend it didn’t happen. Many press on and pretend that it didn’t happen. Sadly, another trip around the mountain will be in their future. What will your choice be? Think about it.