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Monday, July 25, 2011

Do You Believe in Signs?

I'm always looking for signs to clue me in to whether or not I'm on the right path, making the right decisions, doing the right thing. Kind of like Steve Martin's character in L.A. Story, I read the signs as I go and interpret them according to my current situation.

But on the other hand, I'm skeptical of signs, too. I, for instance, don't think that the right lane MUST turn right. Sometimes, in my opinion, it's perfectly okay to put on the turn signal and pop over into the left lane and keep going, whether the zig-zag annoys other drivers or not. I'll know I should have turned right when, or if, I arrive at the right lane MUST exit sign. As you see, I believe in second chances, too.

Which brings me to what I really have to say: There I was driving down the road in Charleston, SC, headed to my youngest son's USSSA U11 Baseball World Series, having just finished shrilly reprimanding him and his sister for yaaa-yaaaing back and forth at each other in the back seat. My husband and I were at odds with each other, as well. He was fussing at me to fuss at them. I was sassing back that I could either look up the directions to the ball park or handle the kids, but not both at the same time. Periodically I gripped the dashboard and sounded the near-miss alert as we wove our way through bumper-to-bumper traffic. Every nerve in the car was stretched tighter than Joan Rivers's face.

Then I saw it, the sign. "Oh my gosh, you've got to pull over," I startled my husband, who opened his mouth to admonish me for my outburst and growl that we were already running way behind and couldn't pull over. But before he could utter a single syllable, he saw it, too, and pulled over.

We both got out of the car and gazed at it, our sign:


It changed us. It changed our trip.

I believe in signs.

12 comments:

RHYTHM AND RHYME said...

Most interesting to read. I go by body language signs, I have got to tell what a person really feels.
Yvonne.

Norma said...

Now that's a sign!

Li said...

I do believe in signs. I also have learned to trust my gut instincts - every major mistake in my life came from not doing so. I'm glad you experienced this little bit of life's magic :)

http://www.shellysnovicewritings.blogspot.com/ said...

Totally wonderful.

Crystal Pistol said...

Ha!! Great post. Unexpected. A minor miracle. :)

William Kendall said...

What a sign!

Dawn M. Hamsher said...

1. I miss Charleston!!!! I haven't been back there for 6 years! I'm way overdue. I lived in Goose Creek, SC for 12 years and went to College of Charleston.

2. I like the sign. It would have changed my trip too!

Blessings and "grace" to you!

The Write Soil

crystal theresa said...

love this.

Millerwrites said...

Nice!

Anonymous said...

I believe that signs can be useful, but I'm always a little skeptical about whether they really apply to me correctly or not. Because even under the best of circumstances, that sign was written by somebody who might not have known what the situation would be by the time I came along and read it.


If you get a chance, check out a fellow writer's zombie story and help me make him wear an embarrassing shirt next year! Details are here:
http://kelworthfiles.wordpress.com/2011/07/19/prove-the-zombies-wrong-social-platforms-can-build-readership/

Arlee Bird said...

Very cool. A relevant message delivered just when you needed it most. Providence? Synchronicity? No matter--it worked.


Lee
Tossing It Out

Jamie Miles said...

That's awesome. I was struggling with an issue once (really struggling) and an old beat up car pulled in front of me. Trust God was painted in red on the rear window. I'll always remember that.