My Christmas Reality

There isn’t much that separates me from the cars when I am traveling down the road, even though most of my route has a dedicated bicycle lane. While that may conjure images of a dedicated and improved trail, it really means that there is a three foot painted path immediately next to the flow of traffic. So one strip of paint is all that protects me from potential collisions. I find a testament to excellent driving by most travelers in the fact that I don’t usually even experience what I would consider close calls during my 1.5 to 2 hours on the road every day. That thin white line seems to do its job and it keeps me safe.


Then there are days like today. While pedaling along a stretch of road, I started to coast as I approached a red traffic light. At the same time a car drifted into the bicycle lane and barely missed me. I don’t think the driver even knows what she did because she was busy reading a magazine. Yes, this driver was the poster child of multi-tasking drivers. She pressed  the magazine against the steering wheel and I watched her head bob ever five or six seconds. That is five seconds of head down and focussed on the magazine and then a .5 second glance up to traffic immediately followed by the head dropping down to look at the magazine. To her credit, she was not violating our new traffic regulation that prohibits using a handheld electronic device while driving.


I was able to watch this display as she approached the light and came to a stop. When I pulled up beside her I saw the most important article that had her attention. “The Reality of Christmas.” At that moment I thought of the Christmas spirit and thought of a very real gift that this driver could give me and everyone around her but I was unable to share that thought with her as the light turned green. To my dismay, this woman started driving with her eyes fixed on the article with only brief and casual glances up as she merged onto a freeway onramp. From there I went my way, relieved that she had gone hers.


When I got to the office I searched the title and quickly found it in a local religious publication. True to its title the author wrote about the many things that are either do not endure or seem fake about Christmas. He also shared his personal witness of Jesus Christ as the Son of God, more than a mere mortal and born under miraculous circumstances. He shared a challenge to do better this Christmas season to find greater peace for ourselves and to show greater love and kindness to those around us and to make Christmas real.

The message of Christmas is perhaps the greatest message and we should study it in all seasons, not just in December, and not while we are driving.

Comments

Post a Comment

Thank you for keeping your comments positive and helpful..

Popular posts from this blog

No More Tears?

Image
Life is funny and full of surprises. It may surprise many of people to learn that I cry quite a lot. I cry at movies, during television shows and even some commercials.  I know that some of the things that make me cry are nothing more than emotionally manipulative plots with added melancholy music.   Even schmaltzy Hallmark specials have my tears flowing.  Perhaps the apex of my emotionality resulted from a television special,The Golden Moment, that I saw in junior high school. As we prepared for the birth of our first child my wife and I attended prenatal and basic parenting classes.  I remember asking one nurse whether I would recognize my child after the baby was born?  I remember getting choked up just asking the question.  She assured me that I would and that just to make sure we would get matching bracelets until we left the hospital; so there was no reason to worry about taking the wrong child home. So, when my daughter was born, I fully expected the moment to be full
Read more

Merry Christmas 2013

Image
Today I thank my mother and father for their goodness, kindness and example that I hope to emulate through my years. I thank my brother Paul for his leadership. As the eldest of numerous siblings he has paved the way for us all to set goals and achieve them. My sister Kathy has always stood for that which is right.  Her virtuous living and stalwart life keeps us steady and grounded. Joanne has kept our family fun and imbued us with continued traditions.  Thank you Jody. Diane has blessed us all with the example of continual hope.  Her courage in the face of trials is a gift I remember on this Christmas Day. Elaine will give her support to anyone at any time and for any need.  I am not even sure she asks why.  Thank you for that unconditional love. Richard will get into the grind and solve any problem as quickly as it arises.  He shows me the value of not waiting and rueing but just getting in and doing it. My brother Robert, the second of the twins, keeps his youthful
Read more

Winter

Image
In winter when gloom and dark abound, We lay our heads upon our beds with cold and dread all about. But at the start of dawn's too bright light some hope seeps in our life. For while we slept the dark black clouds emptied their feigned despair blowing down a serene blanket white. Untouched our world feels like a comforter, deceptively warm. The earth is covered with no escape. But there is no fear nor claustrophobic dread. Instead the shining moon drifts above our sleeping heads. A  continuing snowfall scatters the reflected light. Falling flakes fill the air with a brilliant array of heavenly hope. Hope that comes from this blanket so fair. The world now brimming in brilliant white. We gather our boots our scarves and our coats. We know the cold air that awaits. Our flesh is to weak to withstand the harsh blast of deep winter's icy, sharp flair. We take a step to just explore. We are vulnerable. We feel the cold. We are small.   We groan, we moan
Read more