Occasionally I will pop across the street to the convenience store and invariably get into a discussion with June, the woman behind the counter. She deals with truckers all day, and has made it clear to me she would prefer a different lifestyle, but I find our short conversations fascinating because she has what I like to call Southern Intuition.
All I have to do is throw a little bait and she launches into diatribes that seem so much bigger than buying a Coke or Snickers.
Me: What in the world is going on these days?
Her: “Ya know… my mom, she’s dead now, but she always used to say… and this was 20 years ago…’this country is goin to the dogs’…. and you know what? she was right… she was right… (whisper)…she… was… right. Honestly, I always thought she was a little crazy… I was young… I didn’t get it… she was an RN… a registered nurse… and she’d say… (now June was whispering everything)… this country is going to hell in a hand basket…. I never understood it… but I do now… I should have listened…woulda been a lot easier… your parents always know.”
I love hearing her talk in that deep southern twang. She always adds something to my day and while I’m not totally sure I agree with her about the country going to the dogs, I like her point. Wisdom goes a long way and life can be a lot easier if we truly listen.
But why don’t we listen to people who have been there (including ourselves)? Why do we run too much when our coaches or legs tell us not to? Why do we overextend ourselves or eat like crap before a race? Why don’t we sleep when we’re tired? Why do we make out with sledge hammers?
I saw a tweet the other day from @wisemanphil that I think sums up life (and training) pretty well:
I think there is a valid reason why he is called “Wise Man Phil”…that is great advice 🙂
haha… he’s pretty solid! thanks for taking the time to read!
She sounds like an interesting lady! Makes you wonder who else you could get to know if you just opened up and said “hi” to more people. Life lessons indeed.
Exactly! Every bone in my body tells me to get out of there as fast as possible, but when I just relax and listen, she always seems to say something that makes me think.