Mahler’s Monday Morning Motivator # 128 – Six Lane Highway

[Mahler]

(My Dear Friends, if you read the motivator and don’t wish to post a comment, just give it a bump to keep it current. Thank you.)


Mahler’s Monday Morning Motivator # 128 – Six Lane Highway


Six Lane Highway


It never fails to amaze me that life can toss a lesson my way, even when I am not looking for one. I just returned from a week of vacationing and along with the memories, the souvenirs and the inevitable bills, I brought back a lesson that I learned. What is more surprising to me is that it was taught to me by a six-lane ribbon of highway running through a heavily traveled tourist area.

Just outside of Gatlinburg, Tennessee is an area that has every conceivable type of restaurant, shop, outlet, mall, dinner theatre and attraction that you can name or even think of. Oh, and let’s not forget the world’s largest collection of pancake houses. I counted at least 40. This incongruous collection of buildings, parking lots and signs is cut in two, like a knife, by a six-lane highway with a divider between the three eastbound and three westbound lanes.

Except for the locals, most of whom avoid the area like a medieval plague, I am sure, the road is congested with tourists, all looking for something to eat or something to keep them entertained. Each vehicle is loaded with people on a quest.

Sometimes the quest is an easy and successful one. You travel down the road and miraculously, the thing you are looking for is on the right and is yours for the taking with a turn signal and a deft maneuver into a parking lot.

Many times, however, the prize that you seek is on the left. You know; the pancake house with fifty varieties instead of just 35. So, what do you do? You change lanes, move to the left and at the light or turn-around, you make a U-turn to go back the other way and get to your goal. This goes on constantly and it fascinated me how readily everyone fell into the routine.

Of course, with my twisted logic, I began to think that life is a lot like that six-lane highway. Sometimes the goals we have are right there and easy to reach. We make the right moves and they are there for the taking.

At other times, when we set out to accomplish something, it’s not that easy. We know what we want, but it’s a little harder to get to. We have to do some fancy driving to reach the prize. What is more disturbing is that there may be times that we see what we want and pass it by. In either case, if we really want it bad enough, we will have to slow down, make some changes and head back in the other direction, back to our goals. If we don’t, then clearly, we will continue down the road and be forced to settle for something less or nothing at all.

Life is full of six-lane highways. There are thousands of motorists, some of whom will get in your way. When you see what you want, and if you want it badly enough, you will often have to make the decision to stop going in the direction you are headed, turn around, retrace your steps and go back and get it.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Have a Great Week

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

[EdChap]

A nice returning Motivator, thanks!

[OldGuy]

That is so true, John. Thanks for setting me straight once again.

[rem1956]

Good morning John. Glad to have you back! My thumb was never in my mouth, just in my, well.... glad to have you back. Sounds like you had a great vacation.

Your motivator this morning makes a lot of sense. Too often we are afraid to travel against the traffic and just tend to "join in" with the flow.

BTW...any pics from the vacation?

[finboy]

Welcome back...thanks for the insights. So true...

[ODB]

I think the 50 flavors of pancakes might be one of the things in the way of the goal. Sometimes it's best just to get off the 6 lane highway completely.

[Inspired]

The way I see it, life is a six lane highway, and you got multiple speeds to live it in.. Slow and steady, and all the way up to fast and dangerous.. You can define a person, by which lane they drive in.. Which lane are you Mahler?

[Mahler]

Originally Posted by JawNvMe

The way I see it, life is a six lane highway, and you got multiple speeds to live it in.. Slow and steady, and all the way up to fast and dangerous.. You can define a person, by which lane they drive in.. Which lane are you Mahler?

I'm the one driving from lane to lane trying to get around the rest of you slugs.

[Inspired]

Haha, cheater..

[Razorback in OK]

I'm on that six-lane highway......now GET OUT OF MY WAY

Thanks

[FishrCutB8]

GET OFF THE HIGHWAY! The real pleasure is in the twisting backroads, where people live, and you can slow down long enough to know them...

[RedLefty]

Originally Posted by Mahler

I'm the one driving from lane to lane trying to get around the rest of you slugs.

Don't ride with Mahler.

[Rotwang]

Driving in Gatlinburg and Sevierville is an exercise in patience. Then suddenly you're in the Great Smokey Mountains National Park. Mahler, did you visit Cade's Cove?

[Mahler]

Originally Posted by Rotwang

Driving in Gatlinburg and Sevierville is an exercise in patience. Then suddenly you're in the Great Smokey Mountains National Park. Mahler, did you visit Cade's Cove?

Tell me about it. Some of our group visited Cade's Cove, but the wife and I didn't make it. There is so much to see and do that we plan to go back sometime.

[Jimbo]

bump

[BamaDave]

Great post, John. I was in that area on a short vacation with my family just three weeks ago. Pigeon Forge, Tennessee is what I envision hell must be like!! But there are a lot of touristy things to do when the kids are ready to kill you for making them hike all day!! I'm ready to go back and see the Smoky Mtns. in the Fall and again in the Spring.

[GG300]

Thanks for the thoughts Mahler, hope you had a great time on your vacation.