Sometimes, a girl forgets to look both ways…

I love country music. I mean, I sit and sink myself into it like a warm bath after a hard day. I’ve loved it since right before middle school. I went to summer day camp and each week we’d head to the bowling alley on the military base. The following people attended the bowling alley: soldiers, government workers, families of the two, and us–a bunch of kids who ate all the french fries and were awful bowlers. I mean, we still used bumpers and would become quite disinterested after 2 games. As is true now, military folks love them some country music and that’s what was playing every time we went to bowl. After a couple of times, I figured out that I no longer wanted to make fun of this music. I wanted to own this music.

Names like Shania, Faith, Tim, Garth, Trisha, Martina, Leanne, Travis, Allen, Gary, Brooks & Dunn, Rascal Flatts, SheDaisy, Sara, Deanna, and Teri, etc. entered my life and haven’t left. Fast forward 20 years and I live in Nashville. Foreshadowing is something special, ain’t it?

They lyric above is from a song I heard at the Listening Room Café on Friday. Singer: Marion Grace–she’s got chops. She gives me Faith Hill in her heyday and Lord, do I love me some Faith Hill. The words caught me off guard.

Sometimes, a girl forgets to look both ways… How many times have you forgotten to look both ways? Remember those times you just walked directly into “traffic” with no care for what was coming for you? Maybe you even closed your eyes and just stepped right in?

Now, don’t get me wrong because this isn’t always disastrous. You could cross the street at the perfect time–that peaceful pause when the stoplights decide to slow the world down and there is no chaos for you on your journey to the other side.

The song was sad. The context of a relationship that you ran into heart first without any care as to what might happen, what could happen, and the abrupt pain when it in fact did happen. You heard the impending sirens but you marched onward with more hope than can float. Uh, I mean, no one’s ever done that, right?!

Who would we be if we always looked both ways? If we were always cautious and rule followers, where would we actually end up? Often the moments when you learn the most are those traffic jams, when the brakes screech to a halt and you know that you have no choice but to get out of the way. The aftermath, the clean-up, the apologies, the way your heart beats from fear, confusion, and being more alive than you’ve ever been. Deep down you’re proud of who you are and what you’ve become when you leave the scene in one piece–a bit battered and bruised but ALIVE.

We think to the point of exhaustion and paralysis. We create more drama in our lives than actually exists. Done is better than perfect. Cross the street. Get out there. Look or don’t look–those are your options. Pick one and get on with it.

Oh and remember, keep a little country music at your side for motivation.