Speed Bumps Ain't Made for Stopin'

It was hot summer's day. The moment you stepped outside you could tell the sun was not particularly gracious to anyone who had the courage enough to brave the intolerable heat. The scorching rays of sunlight barreled down without any mercy. And along with it cane a Southern summer's heat. It was muggy, sticky, and humid. The kind of air that you can almost feel on your skin.

And yet, here was a father and son on their way to an appointment. The father sat in the driver's seat and casually hang his arm outside the window. He wore a white short-sleeved shirt and pants. Every so often he would switch the hand he was driving with to take a sip of his coffee which sat in a cup holder beside him.

His son was a restless sixteen year old. His clothing was a bit disheveled in appearance. He usually has lots of energy, but the draining heat from the sun had zapped him of what energy he had today. "Can the air-conditioning be turned on please?" Looking for some reprieve from the grueling heat, the teen began to plead with his father.

"Nope." Was his father’s singular reply. And he kept driving and sipping the cup of coffee. "Get your mind off the heat and enjoy the breeze from the ride." added the father. Realizing he would not win the argument, the son fumbled a bit trying to come up with a good response to his father's invitation.

Then the son with a glassy eyed look on his face blurted out "How will I know what I'm good at doing?" "What have you tried?" asked his father. Almost without hesitation the son responded, "Nothing really. The other day I was thinking about doing some stuff I saw at school though." The father, who was never known for his lack of a good speech, began by saying, "You'll never know if you're good at anything unless you are willing to try some thing."

"What if I try and I don't like it?" said the son. The father replied, "Then you would have tried." The son quickly responded back, "And if I try and I fail?" Without hesitation the father answered, "Then you would have learned." For the third time the son asked, "And if I fail again? The father finally said, "Then you would have gained experience." .

"We're here!" The father said, sounding relieved. No sooner had they pulled into the freshly paved lot of the business; that the car encountered a speed bump. Then there was another. There was a wave of them appearing out of nowhere. The two rattled around from side to side in their seats while the coffee was being jostled in the cup.

Almost out of breath and with an astonished look on his face the son said, "There were eight speed bumps! There was a total of eight speed bumps before we even got near the front entrance. I counted! It takes that many just to get to the front door?"

The father parked the car and without looking at his son he replied, "A few speed bumps don't matter. Don't nobody stop at a speed bump, because speed bumps ain't made for stopin.' ".

Speed bumps are not designed to stop our progress. They will however cause us to pause and consider the directions we’re heading. Because it doesn't matter how fast we go if we’re going in the wrong direction. There will come moments when we feel that we've gone as far as we can, or that we have reached our limits. Maybe, you are a bit shy when it comes to trying new ventures. We all possess the ability to gain some momentum and get over hurdles.

Sometimes it might take more effort than we initially thought. It might shake us up and even spill our coffee, but we get over it. Coming to a stop can become quite attractive to anyone who is accustomed to finding speed bumps in their path. It's okay to pause, as long as we remember not to allow our speed bumps to turn into stop signs. The next time you encounter speed bumps, and you will, remember that you can decide to go forward or remain in place. The choice is always up to you. Life comes with speed bumps. But with time, and a little momentum, we are able to overcome occasional inconveniences to arrive at our destinations. Because, speed bumps ain't made for stopin’.