Rats in Mazes

This is a continuing post of the last one entitled "Car in the Ditch."

It's interesting how often people instinctively react the way they are expected to react, as if it were their own choice. My husband didn't want me to go outside last night to see what was going on. He said I was nosey and always trying to get into someone else's business. Yes, I'm a curious sort but I basically obeyed. I like to talk to people. I like to find out what's going on. I went out and just took my picture, stayed a safe distance, and then went back in the house. Les always warns, "don't get involved" and "stay in the house." It reminds me of the line in the Steve Martin movie, "don't trust whitey!" Leslie grew up in Rogers Park in Chicago in an apartment with warnings from his mother of the fat janitor who would throw him in the furnace in the basement and other such horrors. This is why Les likes it out in the middle of no where on his own land. This is his dream.

It's 8:12 a.m. and the car has already been removed from the ditch. That was quick! Usually the cars in the ditch remain a little longer.

I had asked my husband to close the gate to the driveway last night because of the newspaper article saying the county wasn't going to be patroling. We are at the far end of the county and they usually don't patrol much anyway but it did feel like we were on our own a little bit more, if something were to happen.

When I went outside last night to get a little closer to see what was going on and saw the car in the ditch, I saw the police car in front of the driveway that said K-9 unit so I knew there was possible drug involvement in this. I went out of our gate because I knew it was safe with police cars and fire trucks. After I got my photo, I walked by a couple shrivering. My instincts were to ask if they were the owners of the car in the ditch, feed them or give them tea, and offer a place to stay for the night, if needed. I saw Ilene out there in her volunteer firewoman's uniform who owns John Boy's Merchantile and who owns the local bed and breakfast so I used that as one excuse in my mind to not get involved since I figured Ilene would "take care of it" if it was needed. Les would have hollered if I had gotten more involved so I was basically a good girl for just looking and coming back inside. I was already skating on thin ice with him for going outside. I tend to be too trusting.

Something seems to be wrong with our water this morning. Usually Les isn't out there at the well house at this time of morning. Who knows? It's always something around here. I guess that's what makes life an adventure and interesting. Take what comes. Try to turn everything into a positive. Do your best. Be kind to people along your journey. (I guess I fell short on that one last night since I ignored my instinct to want to be kind to the shivering strangers near the ditch.) And try again the next day for each day is a new opportunity to be your best.

In this day and age, you just can't pick up people stranded on the edge of the road or invite strangers into your home. I guess people are taught with crime statistics to stay a safe distance. People are basically rats in mazes who stay within their own safe permeters and operate within the expected boundaries.