Musings From the High Seat

When the traffic's light and flowing steady, a trucker has a lot of time to think (muse). While I can't speak for all drivers, I can and will with your indulgence share some of my "musings" with you here.

As you may have already found out, my poetry contains a lot of my "musings". I hope you enjoy these thoughts and come back on occasion to catch some new ones.

March 1, 2007: Seen on a church sign outside Paducah, Ky. "Aspire to Inspire Before You Expire."

Recently I was dispatched to pick up a load of those famous (and I might add, "wonderful") baked beans from the mountain area east of Knoxville, Tennessee.  As I drove the curving, winding, twisting, hilly, steep (are you getting the picture?) road in those beautiful hills I was reminded of the old Al-Can highway back in the 50's and a souvenir throw pillow we bought as a memento of that trip. On the pillow was written a little poem that I will share with you now exactly as written. (Don't blame me for that word.)

I do not know the author but would gladly give him/her credit if I did.

"Winding in and winding out

Leaves my mind in serious doubt

As to whether the dude that built this route

Was goin' to hell or comin' out !"

Seen on another church sign somewhere in Kansas sometime in July, 2007

"Having trouble sleeping?

We've got sermons!

Who said Kansans don't have a sense of humor?

(At least I hope it's a sense of humor and not a commentary on their pastors sermonizing abilities!)

October 18, 2007

Recently I had occasion to look up some facts about trucks/trucking. What I found has given me inspiration for what I believe would be a good bumper sticker for the big semis.  It would read as follows:

0-70 mph = 1/2 gallon of fuel

BUT BEWARE

70-0 mph = 1 1/2 football fields !

November 24, 2007

If you've got a calender handy you know that yesterday was Thanksgiving Day.  I was driving.  My dispatcher did all he could to get me home for the holiday, but it just couldn't be worked out. Oh Well ! That's the way it is sometimes when you're a real Y2K Cowboy !

What I wanted to say is this:  Yesterday I got into a minor snow/ice storm east of Denver near Limon, Colorado.  I saw several wrecks due to the slick conditions and as always I noted the high percentage of 4WD vehicles involved. It was about average, 70+%.  I have been musing about the high percentage of 4WDs involved in slick weather accidents for several years now and this is what I've come up with:  Many drivers of  4WDs get over confident of their vehicles roadability (is that a word?) and they do not realize that the stopping/swerving/turning is almost exactly the same as a 2WD.  Therefore they tend to go faster than they would if they were driving a 2WD.  Their over-confidence sometimes costs them and sometimes others, dearly.

I love my 4WD pickup and my wife loves her 4WD van.  Living out in the sticks they are dang near a necessity.  If you've got one I'm fairly certain you love it too.  Please remember however that even though they go great in slick conditions, they don't stop/swerve/turn much if any better.  Remember to leave extra room when following,  turn and swerve or change lanes slowly and keep the speed reasonable.  I'd really like to have you come back to visit here and I'd bet that you got someone that would like to see you get home safe too !

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The Year 2007. What's Going On?

Many of you have already heard about my 'drinking and driving' (don't you dare stop reading now) accident in my semi last Friday evening. None of you have heard (as Paul Harvey would say) "the rest of the story". This is now Monday morning, the 3rd of December 2007. My lower back is screamin' at me for relief that even the strong drugs the doctor at the hospital prescribed doesn't give, but this I've got to get down in writing. I really think you need to know. I think GOD wants you to know that no matter what occurs in our lives, no matter what calamities befall us, no matter how many of the devils' arrows are flung at us, GOD is in control ! If you belong to HIM, HE is responsible for you, not to make sure you never suffer any pain, experience any loss, have any heartache or see any devastation in your life, but to keep you, give you comfort and encouragement and to ultimately bring you home to be with HIM for all eternity.

Before I go on, let me make this point: If we didn't have any of the problems I mentioned before, where would be the joy of getting thru these? Where would be the strength gained from adversity? How would we know to trust in HIM in times of trouble? Where would the insight to be able to comfort others in their times of trouble come from? Why would we long for the departing of this life to be with HIM in never-ending joy and peace? Life would be boring if all was handed to us on a 'silver platter'. What would be the point? Over my lifetime I've seen many, many, young people who 'had it made' commit suicide. Think of all the movie stars, sports idols and wealthy kids who've taken this route. I don't know about you, but I thank GOD for my problems. It deepens my faith in HIM, causes me to lean more on HIM, and gives me some strength to share with you.

On Friday evening I was headed home after being out about three weeks. I was really looking forward to being home for a couple of days before heading back out. It was about 7:30 pm and I was feeling pretty good. I figured I'd drive another 150 or so miles, take my 10 hours off and then get home early afternoon on Saturday. I grabbed my bottle of barely sweet tea and took a drink. It went down the wrong way and I started coughing hard. I couldn't stop coughing! I had the cruise control set on 65mph and as things started going black I had the presence of mind to hit the brake, but that presence of mind evidently did not last long enough to make me continue braking. I remember noting that the road suddenly got really rough, then a huge bang! bump! thump! etc. as the truck went into the median and then slammed into a raised area going across the median. The front wheels jumped up then slammed down on the other side only to have the driving wheels then do the same. Then the front jack legs of the trailer dug into the raised area and all stopped!

As I sat, stunned, a southbound motorist stopped, checked to see if I was all right then called the highway patrol. It was only a short time when Trooper Larry Conn of the Mississippi hiway patrol showed up and took control. During this time my 3 year old rat terrier 'Bitzy' was going crazy with fright and when I opened the door to get out, she hit the ground running and wouldn't stop no matter how I called or whistled. She'd just had everything in the truck come slamming down on top of her and she was hurt and really scared. I had to reluctantly give up the chase to catch her due to the pain that was increasing with each step I took. As I hobbled back toward the truck Trooper Conn came to meet me and assured me that he would keep passing the area and call me on my cell phone when he located her. He assured me that he lived close by and would continue the search the next day even though it was his day off.

They then strapped me to a back board and took me to the hospital. That's when the real torture started! Those people are sadists! I was poked, prodded, jabbed and forced into some awful positions as they took x-rays and blood tests and did a 'cat' scan of my head.
About 10:30 or so I was assured that there was nothing broken and that the 'cat' scan "revealed no brain". Looking back on some of the stupid stunts I've pulled in my life that news was no surprise!

One of the hospital security guards took me to 3 different motels before finding a vacancy for over $100.00 per night! All the pain I was in and then they hit me with that! But, it was the only choice in the entire area so I checked in. Just as I was finished checking in my cell phone rang and Trooper Conn told me he had spotted 'Bitzy' but that she ran from him every time he got out of his car. He asked if I wanted him to come pick me up and take me to where she was to see if she would now come to me. I quickly agreed and in a few minutes he arrived and off we went. I was praying the whole trip that GOD would help me get my 'Bitzy' back. We spotted her and she once again started running from the flashing lights right into the path of an oncoming car. Thankfully the driver had already slowed because of the flashing lights and was able to stop to avoid hitting her. Now she stopped at the sound of my voice and came to me immediately though still very frightened.

Back at the motel I was charged another $10.00 for "pet fee", but that I readily agreed to. I had my beloved 'Bitzy' back!

The next day came the tortuous 400 plus mile trip home in the wrecker pulling my 'Pete'. By the time we got to Springfield, Missouri I was hurting something fierce! I somehow managed to drive my pickup to the house and Bitzy and I hit the hay a bit after mid-night. The next morning was cold and dreary and windy and I felt like I'd been under my truck when it went off the road, but I knew that all the stuff that had flown to the front of the truck had to be taken out so the body shop and mechanics could do their jobs.

My wife, Mary, daughter, Tanya and grandson, Justin and I went to the truck to start work on it. After taking pictures of the outside I somehow managed to get up in the cab (man! I never realized just how high that thing is) and there to my amazement I saw a site that I will never forget as long as I live! There atop that awful mess of cans and packages of food and clothes out of the closet and the now broken refrigerator, etc. etc. etc. sat my old Bible. It was lying there perfectly level, front side up and in perfect alignment and about the right level for me to simply open and start reading from the drivers seat! I will never understand how it could not have been at somewhere near the bottom of the pile with milk and tea and soy sauce all over it. That is where the other things that I kept by the Bible ended up.

This was not a coincidence! Immediately I knew that GOD was telling me; "Hey, no sweat son, I'm on top of this trouble too". I recall the many tragedies Job went thru in his life and he never wavered in his faith. GOD has not allowed me to go thru but a small fraction of what Job went thru. How could I not continue to trust HIM.

On April 10, 1971 at a truck terminal in Toledo, Ohio I gave my life to my LORD and SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST. This was not a decision that I took lightly! This was a decision that I have NEVER regretted. Like a marriage ceremony vow, HE promised to never leave nor forsake me. I promised the same. Unlike me, with some of my promises, HE has never faltered in HIS promise. To my shame, I can't say the same. In Romans 12:1 the apostle Paul begs us to "...present your bodies a living sacrifice ...unto GOD...". One of the problems I have faced with me presenting myself to HIM as a living sacrifice is that I (the living sacrifice) have a tendency to get down off the altar and go about doing what my body wants instead of what HE wants. Through all my failures, HE, though has never failed me!

The year 2007 has been a time of some real 'trial by fire' (quite literally). In March we lost our house and workshop to a raging inferno. There was no insurance, no one to turn to but GOD. But, 10,000,000 years ago GOD knew it was going to happen on that day, in that hour and HE had a place prepared for us. One of our rentals had come vacant a few weeks prior and we had nearly completed remodeling it and had a couple going to sign a lease on it the day after the fire. Mary informed them that we now needed the house and they graciously backed out. Then GOD started working through people. (We are HIS hands and feet etc. on this earth.) The outpouring of not only clothing and furniture and books (I lost a 2000 plus volume library) but also green money just staggers me! One of our daughters (Tanya) co-workers gave me a near-new computer and monitor with all the extras. I have yet to meet the man. We can never repay all the kindnesses given freely to us. As with all things of this nature we will just let GOD handle it. HE will handle it in a much better way than we ever could.

In Job 13:15, after hearing his friends ridicule his faith in GOD, Job makes the statement; "Though HE slay me, yet will I trust in HIM:" (Capitalizations mine.) Please allow me to add my feelings to Job's statement. Yet will I serve HIM. Yet will I be in awe of HIM. Yet will I yearn to be with HIM. Yet will I love HIM.

I do not know what GOD has in store for us on this earth. I Do know that one day I will be with HIM and I know that what the apostle Paul said in Romans 8:18 is absolute fact. "For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us."

Dear Heavenly Father, I pray at this time that you would use this letter to encourage my Christian brothers and sisters in their faith as they go through their own times of troubles and trials. I pray also that you, our GOD, our SAVIOR, our LORD would send your HOLY SPIRIT to touch the hearts of those who read these words that they would be led to also accept YOU as their own personal LORD and SAVIOR, because YOU have paid the entire price for their sins through the shed blood of YOUR SON JESUS CHRIST on the cross of calvary. Thank you FATHER for allowing satan to bring things into our lives which draw us closer to YOU. I ask these things and give these thanks to YOU in JESUS precious name. Amen.

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January 19, 2008

Do you remember the Burma Shave signs along the road ?  Well, believe it or not, there's still a few of them out there. I don't know if they're just still existing or if they've been restored, but I saw one this morning a few miles east of Rolla, Missouri on the west bound side of I-44.  It reads:

One thing that will

Never come to pass

A backseat driver

Out of Gas !

Burma Shave

Here's another church sign I saw in Fairland, Ok.

"Our church is like good fudge

Sweet, with a few nuts"

Ya just gotta love some of these church signs!

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