The life of an over the road truck driver is not easy, which is probably one of the reasons that this industry has a 100% turn-over rate. Part of that is attributed to people job hopping for a slight increase in their wages, but most of it is new people who try to give it a go and then realize how difficult it is to live on the road away from all that makes life secure and comfortable. Familiarity and comfort with your surroundings are transient pleasures, at the most, for an over the road driver. I won't deny that I actually enjoy this job, but it can be very trying at times. I completely understand the paradoxical stories from veteran truckers whom I've talked with who tell me stories of growing weary of the road, so they hang up their keys and settle in at home only to find in a few weeks that they are missing the road. I miss my family terribly at times, and I know that my being gone causes them issues also, but we all do our best to make it work. For us, this job was a God-send, and we try to keep that in focus.
It is a strange life out here. I've been doing this for almost three years now, and just recently I've realized that I am starting to have friends all across the country that recognize me and are glad to see me when I randomly show up at their places of business. Just the other day I stepped into R.J.'s Cafe in North Collins New York to be greeted by the owner with "Hello stranger, where have you been?" Of course I couldn't really answer the question because she didn't have the time to hear all the places I've been since I was there probably something like four months ago, but it kind of feels good having somebody recognize you every once in a while. In my hometown, my kids were always amazed, if not vexed, that everywhere we went there would almost always be somebody that would come over and greet me at any public place we visited. I've made a lot of friends over the years, but this job removes you from all those things that are familiar and comfortable to you. I am so constantly on the move that I seldom ever rest in one place for any length of time. The sun may rise on me in one state and then set on me three or four states away each day
I have learned to settle for a different type of satisfaction or pleasure if you will. I'm sitting in Dandridge, TN today and will leave here at about two o'clock in the morning heading to Delhi, Louisiana to pick up a load that has nine different stops on it. The stops run like this: first stop is Columbia, MO, then Evansville, IN - Louisville, KY - Hebron, KY - Greenfield, IN - Aurora, IL - Sturgeon Bay WI - Dowagiac, MI and then finally into Grand Rapids, MI. They wanted me to run a load right back up to the Northeast but it needed to be in Riverdale, N.J. first thing Monday and I couldn't get it there until about ten o'clock Monday morning with my available hours, so I had to decline the load. My good friend Habakkuk will run that load. He is coming off of his home time and has a full clock available to him. Okay, I'm getting all distracted from my subject of simple pleasures - here is what I wanted to share with you - the things that brought a little pleasure to my life and formed a bit of a smile on my face recently as I was running this last load from Louisiana up into Upstate New York.
-The dogwoods and red-buds in bloom all along the I-40 and I-81 corridor through Tennessee and Virginia.
-An old simple white farm house and red barn pleasantly situated in a verdant valley in Virginia.
-A small flock of Turkey hens on the side of the road with a proud looking Tom, just concealed in the edge of the woods nearby, standing tall and looking with pride over his little harem as they feed in the grasses along the interstate.
-At least a quarter mile of Wisteria in full bloom hanging from eighty or ninety feet up in the trees and cascading all the way down to the ground along the edge of the roadway.
-A single blue bird perched atop a fence post, satisfactorily surveying an open field before her that promises a horde of insects that she can feed to her brood this year.
-A group of ten or twelve white-tail does grazing along the roadside with their heads bobbing up and down, looking for all the world like pop-corn popping in a skillet, and wagging their short little tails like ducklings who just can't seem to be satisfied with where God made it to hang naturally.
-The seemingly new invasion of grey hair I noticed as I was hanging my head out the window to catch a reflection of myself in my side-view mirror as I combed my overly long hair. (I need a haircut)
-Bright yellow daffodils, and intensely red tulips in bloom.
I could go on and on, but I see so many things that they all begin to run together in a blur. It really is like living three or four lifetimes when you are out here moving around the country like I do. All of these things managed to bring a little satisfaction and contentment to me as I made my way along the all too familiar route from Louisiana up into the Northeast quadrant of this great land. Even though I am familiar with the route there is always something new to give a little variety and pleasure to my daily tasks.
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