Used to it

We were making our typical drive to Utah after Christmas in 2022. It’s a LONG journey, and that is putting it mildly. Any destination that requires more than 12 hours of driving is intense, and those kind of car rides come with unique challenges. Although slightly embarrassing, what happened to us on that drive must be examined.

I had taken our car in to be checked before we left. The green light was given, and we were on our way! We loaded five kids, two parents, snacks of all kinds, and everyone’s luggage. It was a tight fit.

Road trips demand road snacks, and that meant way more junk food than is normal for us. Candy, sodas, chips, treats, granola bars…we brought whatever we could to keep us awake and keep us happy. Well. Junk food galore created some…ahem…gas.

The passing of gas was rampant. Every few minutes it seemed we were rolling down windows to get some fresh air. Brian and I scolded, pleaded, and begged for it to stop. (I think we were also participants in this tooting festival, but I cannot recall for sure😜). Anyway, it seemed to dissipate and we were making good time.

About the halfway point, 9 or so hours in, the car was making odd noises and driving badly. Not wanting to be stuck in the middle of nowhere, we decided to stop at an Autozone in New Mexico. Brian parked, and one of their employees walked out to meet us. We rolled down the window, and the guy’s head jerked back as he said,

“Uh, if you guys need a bathroom, we have one you can use inside.”

We thought it was a weird thing to say, but moved on and told him about the car and followed him inside. We waited as they tried some things. Eventually, they had us go to a repair shop nearby. It wasn’t until this moment, opening the door of the car, when the offensive scent hit us like a wall.

GAG.

Our car smelled AWFUL!

I guess all that gas hadn’t dissipated at all. We were traveling for hours in our own scent, and we couldn’t smell it anymore! We just got USED to it.

Gross.

I wonder how often we are driving around in a smelly car, metaphorically speaking?

Do you look at how you are spending the hours of each day? We get so used to doing the same things, day after day, that it feels fine. Normal. Nothing’s wrong here. But is that the truth?

Even more important, do you pay attention to the friends you keep? The people closest to you have massive influence on your life. Your opinions, your values, your style, and your behavior are all influenced by your friends. And if your “friends” are mostly online…they are impacting your life just as much.

Getting out of our gassy car was the only way we could see how bad it had become. We stepped outside. Even when the Autozone guy offered us a bathroom, no one really understood why until we got out of the car.

We all need to examine our lives every once in a while. Get out of the car. Try and see your life as an outsider, like the Autozone employee was for us. Look at how you spend your time, and with whom you associate. Then decide if what you are used to is what you really want, or helping you become who you actually want to be.

And if your life is a bit…stinky…

…it’s time to change things up.