Life In The Center Lane

Life In The Center Lane
By John R. Greenwood

Life in the center lane is more interesting than you think. It's living life in the lane of least resistance. Sure, every so often you need to "blow out the gunk" as Bill Cosby once quipped but if you spend too much time in the passing lane eventually you'll be facing a town court date. If you dawdle too long in the slow lane you will eventually get sideswiped by an unapologetic life-is-all-about-me'er  with a cell phone glued to their right ear socket. By living life in Averageville you get to experience life on both sides, and from front to back. You have more choices. The one thing you never want to do is stop in traffic. Keep up with it. Get out and pass when things are going slower than normal, and if Averageville seems to be growing at a faster pace than you are capable of keeping up with, don't hesitate to move to the right and let things speed by. We seem to forget that we are the one holding the steering wheel. We are the one paying the car payment, and we are the one who's going to see the insurance increase when we screw up. There are days when you need to get out of Averageville completely. You take Exit # Change-O-Scenery and leave the main highway completely. Your need for adventure keeps poking you in the ribs saying," Come on, come on." As soon as the main highway is out of sight your breathing eases and your minds-eye begins to see clearer. One of my favorite places to visit is the Rest Area. The name alone puts me at ease. Those short little breaks prolong memorable journeys. They add dimension and texture to any trip. You park just far enough off the noisy highway to remain apart of it, yet it seems more enjoyable to listen to the whistling tires speed by. You can close the world off for a moment and pretend you are in an alternate dimension. So no matter where you spend your time don't forget to enjoy the trip itself. I'm a vintage car with a rusting body. My tires are worn, my motor rough. I refuse to park in the driveway. I would rather sit patiently at the curb, tank full, map on the seat, ready to take off at the break of day. How about you?