"Sign, sign, everywhere a sign..."

Travel at your own risk!

Inspiration

By Charles Towne

The last time I was in the Rockies I was impressed by the number and variety of warning signs on the various mountain roads. One sign, in particular, got my attention, it declared in large letters, “WARNING, WATCH FOR FALLING ROCKS!”

I was following a dump truck around a series of hairpin curves when suddenly, and with no warning, a boulder, about the size of your car’s engine smashed into the roadway ahead of me. I slammed on my brakes and sat there in shock wondering what was going to happen next. Then I had an interesting thought.

“What if I am sitting on ground zero for the next rock?”

With that pleasant thought, I bailed out of my rental leaving it to the vagaries of fate. Three other erstwhile travelers soon joined me, and with much grunting and groaning, and a few choice expletives, we were able to roll the rock over to the side of the road and watch as it plummeted into the stream some two hundred feet below. After that experience, I perceived the warning signs as serious. I had not paid much attention to the sign warning of avalanche danger before my episode with that boulder. I mean, what could be worse than being smitten by a big boulder?

Well, how about being smitten by a whole bunch of big boulders?

Then there was, FLASH FLOOD WARNING, and, TRAVEL AT OWN RISK, and ICE ON ROAD, not to be diminished in any way by the sign that read WARNING! AVALANCHE CONTROL USING LONG RANGE WEAPONRY! Suddenly I got the idea that just perhaps they were going to use me for artillery practice!

And then I saw the sign that got my attention.

In a drastic understatement it declared, HAZARDOUS DRIVING CONDITIONS NEXT TWENTY MILES! I concluded that whoever made those signs had to have a very sick sense of humor. What is it about humans that make us disregard the warning signs of life? We know certain things are harmful to us, and yet we go ahead and do whatever it is anyway. God has given us warnings signs, not to be cruel or vindictive, but because He loves us. And He has also given us the intelligence to avoid the dangers that the highway of life may offer.

Please, this is your life, TRAVEL AT YOUR OWN RISK!

Live simply,

Love generously,

Trust God, and make a difference, today.

Charles Towne is a longtime Apopka resident, member of Insp!re Church and a published author.