Menu

Proyecto Visión 21

Too many signals next to our life’s road

Francisco Miraval

When you exit Interstate 70 eastbound to E-470 southbound just a few miles east of Denver, in the few yards that it takes to go from one highway to another, you can see and read (if you could read while going 75mph) 32 traffic sings with all kinds of information, from off and on ramps to speed limits.

Yes, you will find 32 signs attempting to convey information to you in a very short distance, from which lane you want to use if you are exiting the highway to which direction to turn depending on your destination.

The information, of course, is useful and accurate. And, as it is always the case, it is also color-coded: traffic movements (“Merge”) are on a yellow background, traffic rules (“Exit Only”) are on white, and warnings (“Do Not Enter”) are on red and flashing.

I believe no driver will ever read all those signs, much less count them. I believe that, quite the opposite, drivers simply see the figures or the numbers on the signs and they react almost by instinct, be it changing lanes or reducing their speed.

Yet, those 32 signs are there. It is seems to me there too many signals in just a short distance and it is impossible to read them all. But the information the signs provide is necessary, even if you can’t read or memorize every single sign.

I think we face a similar situation in life. We usually go through life very fast, including those times when life is forcing us to change direction. I believe that during times of change life also signals us change is approaching. Yet, because we move too fast, we usually ignore those messages, similarly to what drivers do at the intersection of two highways.

When do we really pay attention to the traffic signs at the intersection of two highways? When it is the first time we are there or when we are lost. When do we really pay attention to the messages life sends to us? Probably, in quite similar circumstances.

In both situations we don’t have the time or the luxury of stopping to read and analyze each sign. The signs in life (that is, whatever the universe is trying to tell us) and on the highway are there to keep us going. They are not an invitation to stop to read them. Doing so it will be as ridiculous as looking at the extended finger of somebody pointing us the direction to go.

Of course, it is not only that we can’t stop, but that we also need to maintain our speed to avoid accidents, delays, or problems. For that reason, both on the highway and in life, we need to make quick decisions, almost instant decisions, almost without thinking.

Can we live as such high speed that we can’t even read the signals life is sending our way? And if that’s how we live, when we finally arrive to our destination, where will we be?

Go Back

Comment

Blog Search

Blog Archive

Comments

There are currently no blog comments.