Roadworks

Sometimes, I have to drive to meetings for work. On my way to one such meeting, I came upon a snag. While I had left enough time to travel in normal traffic, I had not accounted for a long stretch of road works. The odometer reading 100km/h dropped to 80km/h, then 60km/h and 40km/h.Finally, I came to a road worker holding a stop sign. I remember looking at the clock on the dashboard, thinking “I should be fine.” I didn’t realise, however, that the road works were going to continue for the next 15kms. One moment, I was going, then I was stopping; speeding up and slowing down over and over. The frustration started to set in as I realised just how late I was going to be.

In moments like these, I tend to say to myself, “It will be okay. You will get there eventually and all will work out.” Repeating this tends to calm down any anxiety I have about making a fool of myself or the reactions of the people waiting for me.

Of course, while I was late, I did eventually get there. The person waiting was not concerned at all – if anything they were extremely understanding and the rest of the day flowed beautifully.
I took the same route back to work. This time, I wasn’t stressed about my next meeting, so I took it easy and enjoyed the extended time and space that it gave me to think.

“Holy shit!” I thought to myself. “Road works could be a metaphor for life and the journey we all go on.”

I hate road works, the time they take away from me and the stress they add to my day. You never know whether it will be quicker to go through them or to take a detour. Sometimes it feels as if you just can’t escape them.

I feel like my heart, life and mind are all roads that are being worked on at the moment. I want to get on the highway, with the windows down and the wind in my hair. Instead, I’m moving slowly through hurt, loneliness, and the unknown. There are signs telling me to go slower and there’s often a stop sign that forces me to stop completely.

I don’t know how long these road works will last or where they end, but the older I get the more I realise how important these periods of change are. While I would love to be speeding along, that’s just not how it is for me right now. Right now, I need to take it slow. I need to focus and pay attention to what is happening around me. I’m checking the review mirror often; seeing what’s behind me, and making sure I’m safe. I am traveling slowly and safely with you and Solomon in the car and, along the way, I will teach you about how and why things are changing for us.

The road works I travelled through to get to my meeting, I’ve been along this road before. Often enough to see the changes and the progress. At first, I couldn’t understand what they were changing, but I can see it now. There is an overpass, extra lanes, and new roundabouts. All of these things will make the journey smoother and quicker, so there are fewer risks to the commuters.

When road works or changes are happening, they’re happening for a reason. While it might be frustrating in the meantime, the changes are going to be worth it. One day, we’ll come back to the place being worked on in our lives and we’ll see the way we’ve changed since then. A journey that was once long, bumpy and difficult will feel smoother, quicker, and less risky. Eventually, we’ll hit the highway, roll the windows down, and enjoy the music and the wind in our hair.