Monday, August 9, 2010

The Stoplights of My Life...


Green means go. Red means stop. Yellow means....




What does yellow mean? Is it commanding a driver to slow down, for the dreaded color red is quickly approaching? ...Or is it a hint to speed up in order to avoid a forced halt. Yield, or speed. Be cautious or be hasty. Yellow lights overwhelm me with nervousness. How does one know when the banana shade light will turn into an apple? My mind freezes in a quiet panic from being forced into a quick decision of which pedal to choose, gas or break?. Escape death dangerously, or prematurely come to a stop? What do I choose? What's safest; most efficient; what's best?


Even when a light paints itself green, I anxiously await the turning of yellow. All enjoyment from freely driving at a set speed is completely lost from my fear of the green too quickly morphing into yellow.


Red. Now there's a color I'm comfortable with. Stop. Sit. Don't move. Wait - whether its a patient waiting or an agitated one - there's only one option. Red means stop, and there's no getting around it. No choices to make, or fears to have. Just...waiting. I like red. Hey, I love red. It's when the red turns to green, and then to yellow that I'm left over thinking each move. It's a constant watching of the traffic lights, really. ...But when you're driving a 2 ton vehicle that can cause great harm, red lights give a great sense of comfort. Especially when you're driving through unknown land. However, in order to get from one place to the other - green and yellow must be present.


The Lord is near, be anxious for nothing. Green means go, red means stop. Yellow means....


Over and out.




4 comments:

  1. Too slow to roll
    Put your life on hold
    An open path
    With nowhere to go
    You start to wonder
    While sitting at a red light

    You can run a red light
    Give up at a red light
    You break the mold
    When running through the tolls
    Speeding through your whole life

    A chance to breathe
    While sitting at a red light
    You look around
    Reflecting on your life

    ReplyDelete
  2. good thoughts... good ponderings...

    ReplyDelete
  3. Sarah, yellow means "stop if you can do so reasonably". Technically, the color yellow is used to indicate the need for caution, but the driving manuals all say that yellow means if you can stop in a normal way - no screeching tires, no spilled drinks, etc. - then do so. If you take the literal meaning and stop worrying about what you can (safely) get away with, it simplifies the decision.

    But I do find it interesting that options (decisions) make you nervous. I'm on the other end of that spectrum. I like having options and try to keep them open as long as I can. That way, if I want to make a change, I can. Sometimes it's nice to have only one option, but usually I want more choices than what I have.

    But not when that choice is a red light. I detest red lights, and I'm only a fan of stopping when it means resting or changing course. I quite dislike stopping. So your own preferences are alien to me. Very interesting.

    Over and out.

    ReplyDelete
  4. this makes me laugh.

    a lot.

    (and I'm glad there are no lights like the one in the picture anywhere near here!)

    ReplyDelete