by Susan Wordal
I find myself occasionally blessed with "windshield time". For any of you who find yourself on a longer drive than just tooling around town, this is a time for contemplation, unless you are fortunate enough to have a really good radio/CD player or MP3 connection in your car, or an audiobook to listen to while driving to occupy your mind. It's hopefully not a time when you are juggling your cell phone and your computer or your tablet, or your kids are not hollering at you every 5 seconds "When are we going to get there?!?" OR "Stop touching me!".
But what do you do with this blessed "windshield time"? I know some people who just enjoy the view and appreciate the natural world as it is revealed as the miles go by. Living in Montana, we are truly blessed with a natural world that is ever changing and full of color, even in that in-between period from fall to winter. I know others who are constantly alert, as they should be in Montana, for the wildlife that can cross their path. And, I know others who work on that paper they have to write for work, or that project that just landed on their desk. While they can't really write things down, some people have figured out how to connect their technology so they can speak and have their thoughts recorded for later transcription or to remind themselves of what they worked out. But whatever they do with that time, they don't realize, always, that they enjoy that first blessing: Nature in all its myriad glory.
I found myself driving home from a meeting last night and in the Bridger Mountains at 10:30 p.m. Usually, I like that time of night, except for the deer, elk, and other critters who decide to be out and about. However, the road was just slightly snowy and I needed to keep my eyes on the road. But, despite the roads, and my need to go really slow because I don't like driving in the snow with my not 4-wheel drive vehicle, I found time to appreciate the state we live in and the wonders to be seen in our beloved Montana.
Ponder this the next time you get behind the wheel. You might see something you didn't expect.
Blessed Be.