150,000 and Others

This is the dashboard of my 2015 Chrysler 200 last week, 24 miles after it turned over 150,000 miles on the odometer. Most of those miles have been my daily 50-mile round trip commute to and from work. Hundreds and hundreds of trips, through all kinds of weather, construction zones, near misses, and smooth sailing. It has hail damage and other signs of wear, but we get along well. My car has been home to a frazzled human on many a trip, and also a sing-along rock and roller, and if the interior of that car could talk it would have many interesting phone conversations from which to choose.

I never really gave this car a name, other than referring to it as “my car.” A big thank you to “my car” for being reliable and comfortable all these years and miles. We may be slowing down some, but we aren’t done. Onward!

Numbers are all around us. The 150, 024 it just happened to be at when I was stopped at a light and looked down, served as a good reminder to live 24 hours at a time, a day at a time, an hour at a time. The zero reading on the speedometer tells me it is good not just to slow down, but to come to a full stop, at least a few times a day.

Numbers are on the news too. From the devastating hurricanes that have recently struck Florida. Milton reached category 5 strength at times. To the death toll rising, millions without power, storm surges measured in double digit feet, a huge dollar amount on the destruction and cost to rebuild. Fear, loss, uncertainty, and grief that can’t be measured.

And numbers counting down the days to a very important Election Day on November 5, with many important races from local to state to national.

Some of these numbers are heartbreaking and worrisome. Some of them feel like individual and collective burdens to bear. They deserve our attention and our action. Let’s make them helpful and kind actions, each doing our part, as minor as that may seem.

Just for today. Pick a number and do something meaningful with it.