Railroad tracks

I live in Indiana where railroad tracks are common. Many years ago, I was traveling a rural area and noticed a set of tracks ahead of me. I was on an isolated road with no train in sight. I was young, na?ve, and invincible, or so I thought. With all the rebel attitude I could muster, I decided to accelerate and test the speed of my little Ford Focus.

The tracks appeared smooth, at least from a distance. I hit the tracks and took to the air like the Dukes of Hazzard. I hadn't anticipated the far side of the tracks being much lower than the front side. I hit the ground with enough force to stall my car and bruise my torso for a month.

I managed to get the car started, gathered my pride, checked my ego, and headed back to town. I was shaken and embarrassed, but confident. I had assessed the damage and thought I was in the clear. A month or so later, I would learn that the entire undercarriage of my car had been damaged. I had been extremely irresponsible and foolish. Thank God another vehicle wasn’t approaching from the opposite direction. I would have killed us all!

I reflect on the experience often. Here are my take-a-ways:

1.     Never take the tracks at full speed.

2.     Always be aware of your surroundings

3.     Never accelerate through the turns. They come quickly.

4.     If we invite trouble, we’ll certainly find it.

5.     An assessment is never accurate if we don’t know what we’re looking for.