Lighten up during lightning.

Pending gloom



_________
Driving from Calgary to Marten River, a small village 60km North of North Bay, was by all accounts, much more efficient and much less eventful than driving, or being towed if you will, from Marten River to North Bay.

However our method of propulsion unfortunately wasn't the only thing that changed.

Upon leaving Calgary, one of the first pieces I received from a man much wiser than I was, "try and get along".

Well, it was advice well needed, but unfortunately not well heeded.

As three travelers frantically determined how to start moving east again, the god of mood was breaking egg shells and throwing them under our feet.

No showers, no sleep, no nutritional diversity (you can only dress up peanut butter and jam so much). Combine this with a mechanical break down devastating displacement goals and assaulting wallets and my recommendation to any betting man would be to put his last dollar on an interestingly tense situation.

A measurable symptom of this pending pessimism was the dramatically increasing use of the f bomb.

“ don’t even f#$king bother”

are you “f$%king stupid.”

“get your f%^king feet down. “

“don’t f#$king touch that you idiot…. F$%k you’re stupid..”


In any unfavorable situation, one always has two options to relieve the pressure. You can change the situation, or rise above the situation.

Although I was 3000km from my bed, it was pouring rain, and I would probably be days late for work, I Still seriously contemplated getting out of the misery ridden truck cab, crossing the street and putting out my thumb for a long, wet hike back to Calgary. However, practicality and logic took over and I decided to bear the abuse. So, if the situation isn’t easily changed, how can I rise above?

Rising above is not always easy, but it IS always possible. In retrospect some steps to follow;

Weigh the light to lightening. We had had 30-40 successful and safe hours. A 5-hour delay was really quite insignificant. Had we have kept driving we very well could have found a moose crashing through our windshield making broken bones our priorities not broken u joints.

Look for the light. Innumerable negatives fought to keep any positive outlook from breaking through, However some silver lining could be found, for example the breakdown got us off the road refreshing our minds for safer driving ahead, we saved gas money by the detour, and we saved driving time by not going to Bancroft.

Light illuminates logic Upon arriving at Canadian Tire, we had a mission. Change the u-joint and get moving. Ask yourself, what will keep you more productive, a mind open to innovative ideas? Or a cloudy gloomy pair of glasses coloring every sense that crosses your eyes, ears, mouth, nose, and touch. Without question it is the former.

Opening our mind for a few minutes allowed us to rethink the situation, figure it out, and get out of there. It is not impossible that had we not opened up to innovation and external output, we could still be at the North Bay Canadian Tire.

It is critical when shit is bad to say to yourself, I’m not helping anyone by being negative and I’m going to be way more effective in changing the situation if it only has me physically handcuffed, instead of physically and mentally.

Laugh and relax In 2001 I found myself sitting curled up on the floor in St. Anne’s university dorm room dealing with the fact that I had crossed the laws clearly set out for me by teachers on this high school trip, and that there was the possibility of suspension if not expulsion being handed to me.

“You know Luke, in a few years we’ll look back and laugh”. Said fellow Accused Jason Tait.

“Ha, we’ll probably laugh in a few months” I said somewhat disbelievingly.

“I’ll laugh right now if you will” he said. He kept his word when in about 30 seconds we were busting a gut despite the load we had placed on our backs.

The situation held incredible relevance rolling around a rainy parking lot in North Bay



Employing the above principles is often easier said than done. Two examples of how I know this

1 We were far from care free campers when the shit hit the fan in ON. Mood fell as a priority and pass the wrench became pass the fucking wrench. It took all we had to keep any open mind, and as a whole I’d say we failed fairly miserably.

2. my computer just crashed halfway and I lost about 1 /4 of this blog. After taking the computer and bashing it into the desk until the keys fell out, I rose above and told Dave to pass me his f%king laptop.

I challenge you to try this. Next time the guy on the train puts his bottle filled garbage bag on your white khakis. Or your car gets hit and run in a parking lot. Yeah fate has you physically beat, but you can turn the tables a lot quicker if you’re smiling.


A mere 15 hours after our break down, we rolled into the gloriously clean and dry house of our high school friend Felix “the cat “ Hirbour.

Drinks in hand, watching Felix flip 6 delicious inch and a half thick chops on the BBQ, life couldn’t have been better. Stories were told of our last meeting 4 years ago that had us laughing so hard it would have been impossible for the untrained eye to identify us as the same gargamel Mechanics of North Bay. (that’s right, a smurf reference)

Now, if I can only rise above the challenge of Jose Quervo that my colleagues have just put in front of me It’ll be a favorable end to a not so favorable day.

Stay tuned over the next day or two as I detail our ride from QC where the above principles of light hearted living are tested again.

Luke A
________


Beating the lightening....