My Namesake is a Three-Legged Male Cat

Not to be too dramatic (well...actually, yes) there has been a miracle.

(Incidentally, this miracle has nothing to do with the title, I was just trying to get your attention. The title is, however, true).

I was driving to work last Monday morning (I work about an hour away), and felt so great. I was ahead of schedule, the radio was pumping out some amazing music (80's and 90's awesomeness, if you must know), and the sun was already out and shining. As I was driving, I was making a mental list about how wonderful life was, when in my rear-view mirror, I saw the state trooper that just drove past do a u-turn in the road, and turn his lights on.

Not a good sign.

Another sign, though different from the kind of sign I'm talking about. Also, much funnier.
(Taken in Glasgow, Scotland on our honeymoon last year)

I thought for a second, "What are the chances that there's been an emergency at 7am in the direction I'm going, and the nice police man has to get there quickly!?" Answer: No chance.

Now, if you are my baby brother and you're reading this right now, you need to stop. (He seems to think his sister is a poor driver with a lead foot and begs me to be more careful, and if he finds out about this whole incident I'll really never hear the end of it. Also, ladies, he's 21, handsome, talented, brilliant, and caring enough to worry about his big sister, if anyone is interested ...just leave a comment below).

As you have probably already figured a few paragraphs ago, Mr. State Trooper decided that I was, in fact, breaking the law, and did pull me over. Now, this marks the fourth time I've gotten pulled over in my life. The first time I was in college in Michigan, going WAY (I mean WAY) too fast. I cried, the officer was flustered (and had a SOUL!) and let me go. The second time was a few years later in Indiana on my way to Chicago, and I was pulled over by a state trooper. This guy could not have been a day over 21, and I easily flirted my way out of it (not because I'm particularly gifted at flirting, but because he was 21 and from the looks of it, a little nerdy and perhaps a bit nervous). Southern cops are just not as forgiving as those Midwestern boys, let me tell you. The third time I got pulled over was last July in North Carolina on my way to see my 8am client. This man was sneaky, on a motorcycle, and hiding  behind a bush. I got my first ticket from him.

Bummer.

After that ticket, I feel like I spiraled downhill. There were a lot of other things going on at the time (some minor but annoying health issues, a stressful PhD program, continual car problems) and I just felt that this was the icing on the cake. I turned into someone who I did not care for very much, very moody and negative, with a dose of depression and anxiety for good measure (God bless my husband for still tolerating me). This lasted for quite a few months, and although it wasn't the ticket per se, the ticket represented all that was "bad" (I use quotations because in hindsight, those things were clearly not big deals, but did feel like it at the time) in the world.

Anywho, back to last week. Being amazingly polite and slightly flirtatious was not working, and though it crossed my mind, I decided I was too old to turn on the waterworks. So, as Mr. State Trooper was kind enough to take my license and registration back to his bat mobile, I was doing some deep breaths (as I tell my patients and clients to do during stressful times, practice what you preach!) and screaming to myself,

WHAT LESSON AM I BEING TAUGHT!?


New Christine is big on lesson-learning. For example, last month I accidentally washed my smartphone and was phone-less for close to two weeks. The lesson I was being taught was to unplug and relax a little more. I am frequently taught lessons on patience (like when I hit every red light, or have to deal with people who test this particular quality). Like many formal tests in school, if you fail, you usually have to take it over again at some point. The universe is kind to me, so I get many opportunities to re-take certain tests if I don't do so well (::cough::patience::cough::).

I was furiously trying to figure out the lesson in hopes of calming myself down. Was I being taught to slow down in life? (You see, lessons are usually metaphorical, so it couldn't be something as simple as actually slowing down, as in, driving the speed limit...plus, I'm clearly not ready for that). However, I decided that I had been doing very well slowing down in life and being reflective, so it couldn't be that. I was at a loss.

Proof that I do stop and smell the roses. Almost literally.

After I had been given my ticket, and continued my journey to work, I had an epiphany. There was absolutely no reason to let a silly ticket ruin my day. After all, it was only money. And then I realized that I had actually thought those words all by myself (aka without my mother's prompting). I have a tendency to get stressed about money, when in 100% of times, things have worked out. Despite this, I would usually still feel it was necessary to waste my energy worrying  for absolutely no purpose. This needless worry was the root of the stress last summer, because every time something not-so-fabulous would happen, I would let it feed into my victimized thinking, "Oh poooor me! Why does this always happen to meeee?" And then I would worry about the outcome.

But this time, it was different. Almost exactly one year later, I was given the same exact test (in the form of a speeding ticket) and now had the opportunity to show how much I had grown and changed...and I passed! I was able to control my thinking, keep myself calm, and have the inherent wisdom that things would work out, because they always do. 


About ten minutes after I got to work that morning (still on time, mind you), one of the fabulous women I work with said, "Oh, my (well-connected lawyer/county official) uncle can take care of that! He's always getting me out of tickets." She took the ticket.

And that was that. Done.

So, embrace the lessons you're being taught today. There is no better feeling than getting a test in life, and passing with flying colors (even if it's the 50th time you've had to take it). In fact, I would argue that the more you have to take a test, the better it feels when you actually pass it :)

Thank you for reading, and have an amazing day!