Take Me Home Country Road

Anyone who knows me well will tell you that I am quite impatient. I don't like to wait for anything or believe that anything should take too long. I can thank dear old dad for my lack of patience. I earned it honestly.
However I realized something recently. I was headed back home on a Sunday afternoon to celebrate my Granny's 91st birthday (rock on, Granny!). As usual, I-26 was slow, slow, slow. So I took a detour down 176 which isn't an unusual part of any drive home. The only difference is that usually Hubby is the one behind the wheel. Yet due to issues at work, he couldn't go with me so I had to drive by myself. My impatience was rearing it's ugly head the whole way down the road- people were pulling out in front of me and driving 10 miles UNDER the posted speed limit, turning with little or no turn signal, etc. I finally made it to Granny's house for the festivities and had fun with the family.
Then it was time to head back to the big Cola. Taking 176 from Granny's house is the easiest way to get back home. As I drove back with no time constraint hanging over my head and little traffic on the road this time, I started thinking about all the times I'd driven that road. In my driving years, I have spent a lot of time on 176. I drove it endlessly to visit my BFF in high school, head back to USC when there was a major traffic malfunction on I-26, or just take the long way somewhere. I started to remember how I was filled with so much anticipation for the fun that BFF and I had planned that day/night and the mischief that we were sure to find together. I remember driving that road with tears in my eyes when I had the realization that my first significant crush didn't feel the same way. I remember taking that road with another childhood friend to attend high school football games at an arch rival school and visit with friends we had there. I was overwhelmed with memories crashing through my mind like waves on the beach.
I had an Ah-Ha moment. Life isn't about how fast we can get somewhere and how fast we'll get back home. It isn't about what I can get now. It's about the time we take to slow down and breathe. It's about the memories- both good and bad- that have shaped our lives and make up our past. It's about just enjoying life.
So I encourage you to take the slow way to somewhere when you have the chance and enjoy the scenery. Even if you've seen it a million times or it's a brand new path, it's those moments when we slow down and reflect that make us thankful for the roads we've traveled. They have all led us to the people we are now.
Happy travels!