Life is like a taxi cab ride
Forrest Gump immortalized the phrase: “Life is like a box of chocolates… You never know what yer gonna get.” Well, this is kind of like that. But not really.
No, this post is just a quick reminder to flow with life, wherever it takes you. And, as usual, no moral is good without a story, so buckle up.
I studied music in school. Well, I was fortunate enough to study abroad in London. I’d never traveled anywhere on my own, and I had made the decision to apply on a whim. I had come from a very small town, so going to one of the “biggest”, most historical cities in the world, knowing no one… Well, you can guess I was exhilarated and terrified at the same time.
At first I traveled by underground (subway). It was the fastest, most economical way to get from place to place. (It also seemed the best way to not get lost). But then I realized I was missing everything. The city. The sites, sounds & smells.
So I graduated myself to bus. This… was way more exciting. To a small-town kid, everything is interesting and full of wonder. I became familiar with the routes to St. Paul’s Cathedral, Westminster Abbey & Parliament, Royal Albert Hall. Everywhere.
Studying art and music, our assignments were to visit the world’s famous museums, and to attend concerts of renown artists. (Terrible, right?) Well, I was going to be late to one evening’s performances, so I decided to hop a cab. “St. Martin-in-the-Field, please. And hurry,” I said.
“Yep,” the cabbie replied, and headed out. To my dismay, the driver headed in the opposite direction. I repeated, “No, St. Martin-in-the-Field!” He shouted something back to me, but his accent was too thick, I couldn’t understand. I sat back, bouncing my foot, and fretting as we wound through the streets of London. (Oh, and if you haven’t seen a map, I suggest you try. There’s no making heads nor tails of that place). I knew the main routes from place to place, but we were in God’s territory as far as I knew.
Half an hour later, we pulled up to the church that was my destination. I was shocked. As I handed the cabbie his fare, he said something again. This time I was able to make out “rush hour.” See, he knew the streets, and the city, far better than me. He didn’t take the most direct route, but he had chosen the fastest route.
And, the moral… Life is like that. Often we take the passenger’s seat as we wind around unfamiliar territory. But our job is to relax, and trust the Driver. See, in life, we are never lost. We are all accounted for. We will all arrive at our destination, so it’s ok to relax and enjoy the ride. In London, I didn’t see a single thing on that cab ride, because I was so busy worrying, caught in my mind thinking we should be going a different direction. Who knows what I missed out on?
My friends, don’t miss out on life thinking you’re where you shouldn’t be. Embrace your life, and every adventure that comes your way. Brave new territory. And after it all, you will arrive at your destination, on time.
March 19th, 2009