A story of affirming safe travel with a prayer.
I was walking to Publix last Sunday, when I saw southbound traffic on Summerlin at Cypress Lake, slowed to a crawl through the intersection. There had been an accident in what appeared the northbound, left-turn lane from Summerlin onto Cypress Lake. A young woman was sitting on the median quite distraught and holding her head perhaps also in pain.
Had someone bent on making the left turn been following too closely and too fast to stop when the driver ahead decided not to make the turn because the arrow had gone to yellow? Or had the rear-ending driver been texting? All variations on not paying attention. Certainly — needlessly — messed up the whole Memorial Day weekend.
What accident is NOT from someone’s failure to pay attention?
As soon as I saw what had happened, I stopped and toggled to one of my prayers of Protection. It is my own self-talk of calling myself — periodically — to a higher bar of personal responsibility. Because I, too, have lapses of mindfulness and so have safeguards in place to protect me from my own foibles as best I can.
I stopped, looked Inward and Upward, and said, “Protect me all the days of my life from all lapses of mindfulness, my own and those of others. Keep me mindful in every moment.”
The night before, I was backing out of my condo parking space and suddenly saw the car I had failed to notice in the space to my right, that I was about to sideswipe as I backed out to my left. There is virtually never a car in that space — small, black car, nighttime — and I had absent mindedly not taken notice. Saved by my better angels, I hit the brake and straightened my car’s backing out. THEN … immediately … before driving any further … I went into that same prayer of Protection. I figured I had used up my credits and wanted to refill my Protection. Self-talk. A reminder.
When I am preparing for a trip, I affirm my safe travel with a prayer a couple days ahead. I visualize my entire route as I say, “Go before me; prepare my way for safe and swift travel, and the same for all with whom I will share the road and whose travel can affect mine.”
My stance? I am responsible for the safety of all with whom I share the road. This does not make me a tense, hypervigilant driver. Simply attentive — relaxed actually — for knowing that my time on the road will be stress-free and pleasant. Courtesy and safe driving will beget the same in others. And keep me safe from those not quite the same.
A Whole-Body Reset! Release Muscle Tension and Stress with Results That Last!
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6710 Winkler Road, Suite 2
Ft. Myers, Florida 33919
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