Riders On the Storm

Greetings Happy People,

Have you ever rode through a storm?

If you have, you would know that it is not an easy thing to do.

Driving slower, watching the road closely, and praying for an escape are some of the things drivers do when they drive through storms.

I had interesting experiences in riding through different storms. Whether is it through rain, snow, hail, or wind, these storms are never easy to go through. But one can become stronger if they make it through one.

My latest encounter with a storm happened last Saturday. I was driving from Simi Valley to Santa Maria and back. Heading northbound on US 101 between Santa Barbara and Santa Maria, I saw some heavy clouds coming from the ocean. When they made it to the coastline, it brought low clouds, heavy rain, and visibility so low that I can barely see what was ahead of me. Not knowing what could happen, I clinched my steering wheel and drove through as best as I could. With some strong determination and great care, I managed to get to Santa Maria without facing any real dangers.

As I headed back from Santa Maria, I decided to take another route. This one was quicker to get back to Simi Valley and it did not involve having to go on US 101. Was this route any easier than the 101? Not really. While the path was a shorter distance to get from point A to point B, it also involved more clouds, more rain, less lanes, more turns, and driving downhill. This route is CA-154, the Los Olivos-Cachuma Lake route.

When I drove the first few miles on this route, I saw a cloudy haze that was heavier than before. How heavy was it? It was heavy enough for me to barely see half a car length ahead of me. YIKES!! Lots of things can go through a driver's minds when they are facing these obstacles. I not only hoped that I could get through this mess, I also hoped that nobody hit me from behind. As the rain poured harder, my grip got a little tighter. As the curves got sharper, so did my eyes.

When the view got cloudier, I looked for something that would help my drive become a little easier. Luckily, I saw some white mile markers on the roadside. For each one of these I passed, I knew I was getting closer to Santa Barbara and the US 101. As I went further down the hill, the weather started to clear up. When I got to the bottom of the hill, I made it to Santa Barbara safely. As I drove back on the 101, I was thankful that I made it through those challenging coastal storms.

This was a story on how I overcame two different storms in my life. With great determination, carefulness, and lots of hope, I was able to get through them. Do you have storms that you go through in life? If so, how did you get through them? If you got through them the same way I did, then you will become a stronger person.

Many people drive through many storms. Some of them aren't even weather related. There are storms in our lives that come in forms of finances, relationships, and other challenges in life. Unfortunately, not too many people can escape these storms and if they do, they never really escape them. That is not a good thing.

If you are a person that is currently going through a storm in your life, remember that it is only temporary. Whatever storm you are in can be seen as a challenge. If you are able to get through them, you will become stronger than before - because you not only went through it, but rode it!!

That is all I have for now. Take care and thank you for your time and attention.

Sincerely,

Jesse I-I-I