orange cones

I have decided that my state must have the most orange cones of any state in the U.S. The roads around my home--indeed, roads all over the valley--are torn up. Narrowed to one lane. Closed.  And this has gone on for months. There are at least three construction projects between my house and work, some days four or five. The average is three road construction projects between my home and anywhere I want to drive.  Currently, in order to go south from my house, I must first go east and then north and and then west before turning south. Kneaders is one mile directly west of my house, so a sandwich or soup and bread--what used to be a quick run--now takes a lot longer to get. I have to think twice before I make the run for a cream cheese brownie (maybe a good thing?).  My route to church (like Kneaders, also directly west) requires the other three sides of the rectangle. Today, I saw a sign go up notifying me that another road I take regularly will close. And these closures are weeks long, generally 4-6. So my routes anywhere are different now than they used to be. They change almost weekly.

I'm trying to be positive; I don't want to be crabby every time I get in the car.  I'm playing the "glad game." Here are the reasons I am glad for the road construction.

1. I am glad all of these workers have jobs! Really! So many people don't right now. And if I think about it, these guys are just the tip of the iceberg. All these pieces of equipment--even the orange cones--have to be made somewhere, so other people are employed, too, because of the road construction.

2. I travel different ways to work, so I see the world differently. I don't get used to the scenery to the point of not paying attention to it. Because I travel different routes, the drive is more interesting and I am more involved and attentive.

3. The most invasive project is covering over a canal that travels through all the towns in the valley--miles long. At first I was sad when I heard this, as I liked to walk along the canal. But then I found out that the project will make a walking path and bike trail along the whole route. How cool is that??? It used to be difficult to walk the canal in the spring when it was muddy. One time I had about two pounds of mud on each shoe by the time I got home--I was two inches taller, which, although a nice idea, didn't last past the mud scraping. In the summer, the canal was dangerous for children. So, now we will have this great new place to walk and bike that will be fun and safe. We just pay a little price now.

So, my plan is to take the detour in stride--like all detours in life. Look for the ways it can be a good thing and be patient for the outcomes, which are usually better for me anyway.