Monday, March 16, 2020

RACING TO THE FINISH


One of my favorite past times in the 90s was NASCAR.  I loved watching the races.  It was a time of the triple threat. The Dale Earnhart, Rusty Wallace, Ernie Irvin show.  The original men in black. Watching the races on television was ok but being there in person was a whole different experience. The one thing I loved about Nascar that you couldn’t get with any other sport was the inside scoop.
Driving a car around a track at high speeds, especially my favorite ½ mile Bristol track, the drivers had a limited view.  You have 40 cars racing around a ½ mile circle. It was insanity.  Every driver had their own spotter.  The spotter was seated at the top of the track watching it all from above and communicating via radio with the driver about who is in front or behind them, how close they are and if its ok to bank a corner on the inside or outside of it. 

As a fan in the stands, we were able to have a radio and headphones that could listen to the drivers and spotters during the race.  I can’t imagine driving a track without them. The drivers are so buckled in and secured, that they couldn’t turn their heads around to even see what’s coming up beside them.  The view of the spotter and what they were telling the drivers could win or lose you the race.  The drivers listened, trusted what they were hearing and acted accordingly.


That’s how I imagine life.  There has never been a time I could see the whole picture. The only view I have from where I am standing is directly around me. I need a spotter with the bigger picture. A view from a higher angle that can see the whole track. 

As the God of the universe whispers in my ear, I usually try to listen. When I don’t know whats coming up behind me, I wait to hear. Should I drift right or left to avoid a collision.  If I’m not in a place where I can get the signal, I readjust my position.  The best way to make it through life with minimal wrecks is to be tuned in to the creator, who sees and knows all things and has a much better view than me.

If all you see is what you see, then you are not seeing all there is to be seen. - Tony Evans

2 comments:

MHale said...

Love this. Our only view is just what is ahead. That is probably more than enough. I love our writing. You are a gifted writer. I am in a memoir writing class and I think I can learn from reading your blogs on how to present the things in my life. Thank you.

Cheryl Derrick said...

Thank you for the encouraging comment. I love writing, especially about the way I see things.