Growing up, my dad took my brother and I duck hunting. The worst the weather for humans, goes the rule of thumb, the better the conditions for ducks. So, we grew up, sitting in cold, windy, wet marshes around northern Ohio and southern Michigan. It was miserable.
It was miserable, for me. My brother actually liked it a lot, and we think it’s because of the clothes.
When I was young and out with my dad, it was a lot of cotton and some wool. When my brother started there was Gore-Tex, Under Armour, dry fit, and a whole list of synthetic fabrics that repelled water, retained warmth, and didn’t cost too much.
We came to joke in our family, it’s not bad weather, it’s the wrong clothes.
Now I’m the parent, not duck hunting, but travel volleyball, and we spend a lot of time in the car. Car time can be a little aggravating.
But isn’t it a little like the weather?
The problem isn’t the traffic and other drivers the problem is me. Both weather and traffic are out of my control, and both have solutions in my control.
And unlike my youth, driving is nice. There are podcasts and audiobooks. They are comfortable chairs with heated lumbar supports. There’s adaptive cruise control. A lot to be grateful for!
Pause more. Be grateful. Don’t focus on the uncontrollable, be creative, and find things you can do. It’s not the bad __________, it’s the wrong ________.
The Waiter's Pad 