What if we only made right turns in life? I recently read an article about a person who did just that. Left turns were out of the question, so he drove many extra miles going around blocks so that he would never have to make a left turn. In a weird, convoluted way, I can see a modicum of sense to his strategy. Left turns can be scary. Without a light and little arrows, left turns probably cause more accidents than

right turns.

As I age, left turns are becoming more frightening. They are risky. And while I feel free to take risks with some things, other things are too frightening to tackle head on. And so I make a lot of right turns to get where I want to be. And then, after the fact, I discover what I wanted wasn’t that difficult to access after all. While right turns aren’t the shortest way to get to my destination, they do get me there eventually. Unfortunately, I have wasted cherished time living in fear.

Have you ever tackled what appeared to be an insurmountable mountain because the thing you desired was on the other side? A thing that could not be attained without going over the hill. All the right turns in the world would not ensure arrival to the other side. Somewhere, sometime, it will take biting the bullet and making a hard left to make progress.

Such an experience hit me this week. As some of you know, I have been working on a novel for several years, and I “felt” I was close to getting it published. I submitted a sample to an editor only to have it come back covered in revision marks and some subtle, yet astute, remarks about my writing skill, or lack thereof. “Of course, there is hope for everyone” was the biggest hammer to fall. The bottom line – a rewrite is in order. I spent two days in despair. I cried, wallowed in self-pity, prayed, and then I picked myself up and decided that right turns were getting me nowhere. My only chance was to suck it up and make a left into the middle of rush hour traffic with no lights to save me. Look both ways and charge. This means I will have to change everything! I will have to learn new things, accept others judgment and know how, and go back to the beginning – again. The safety of right turns will not work in this case. Only the risk of a left turn will get me where I want to be.

Left hand turns are hard. It means having to step out, take direction, make choices and learn to fly all over again. A lesson landed in my lap yesterday. My cat brought home a little bird. Fortunately, she never hurts them, but the whole adventure of rescuing the bird was a lesson for me. While not hurt, the little bird lost many feathers in his scuffle with the cat, me, the window and the blinds. He was scared to death. Once I caught him, I could feel his thumping little heart about to burst through his chest. So I gently held him, took him outside and let him fly away. I get it, little bird. I was caught in my own trap (arrogance), I lost a lot of feathers (pride), and then ended up in God’s gentle and secure hand. When the time is right, He will allow me to fly and accomplish all that He intends me to do.

So right or left? That’s a decision we all must make in our lives, probably many times over. When residing in Small-Town, Utah, there was an elderly man who was a driving menace. According to him, he had been turning left at that particular corner for his rather lengthy lifetime. Everyone knew that. Hence there was no reason to use his blinker. A turn signal would have been very helpful to those of us who had not known him since year one! Could there be times when a lack of directional blinkers in my life could affect yours in some bizarre way? It’s possible. Life is filled with mountains and valleys, lefts and rights, ups and downs. The biggest left turn in life is recognizing that it is there, and then we get to choose – the easy road or the one filled with potholes.

So the next time you sit in traffic, consider your driving skills. Not on the road, but in life. Will right turns give you fulfillment and satisfaction? Or are they just safety and refuge from the “what ifs” faced on a daily basis. Do you see left turns as frightening? Or will you choose to slide around the corner on two wheels, missing the other cars, avoiding the ditch and then squeal off toward your destination? Don’t take me literally, but bring it to mind when faced with those difficult decisions in life. Right or left?

Just Writin’ on the River Road