A Seasonal Dilemma
If I am ever involved in a serious automobile accident, I fear it's going to be during a certain season. No, I'm not talking about the season when frozen water droplets fall from the sky and the roads suffer from a condition called black ice. I'm talking about the season when well meaning citizens litter the sides of the road with their tables and tents. And on those tables and under those tents is a whole lot of junk treasures. Yes, I'm speaking of yard sale season.
Ugh! Just saying the word makes me feel nervous and stressed and I will explain why. This is what happens in my brain when I encounter a yard sale.
"Oh, I wonder what all those cars are doing up ahead? Probably just pulled off for a yard sale. YARD SALE! You should stop, Geneva. Yes, every good and frugal Mennonite lady stops at yard sales. Do I have any cash with me? Yes, I have forty bucks. Wow, just think of how many things that could buy at a yard sale! It looks like they have some very cute chairs. But, you don't need chairs, Geneva. You need little girl clothes and another set of measuring cups. Do they have girl clothes? Well, I see a tiny pile of pink stuff but it almost looks like sizes she has already outgrown. I could just stop for a minute. It never hurts to check. But I'm supposed to meet my friend for lunch and if I stop I might be late and I hate being late. GAAAHH I HATE YARD SALES!"
And all of those thoughts run through my mind in a matter of 2.13 seconds! At this point, my brain goes into complete overload and shuts downs momentarily. In a daze, I whiz past the yard sale while performing several aggressive brake checks..... still not knowing if I should vere off the road and stop or just continue on with my normal life!?
You may have noticed that while all this is happening, I have not once thought about things like speed, or pedestrians crossing the road, or the vehicle behind me, or the sharp corner approaching, which makes me a very real hazard to the community during this season!
I think the root of this dilemma is my inability to make decisions quickly. I like to take my good old time when it comes to deciding anything. Think of all the options, analyze the pros and cons, discuss it for at least 45 minutes with a trusted friend and then proceed with a choice. And it's just simply impossible to do all those things while maneuvering a vehicle past yard sales.
So then I think I should just make a rule for myself... like my Always Order Grapenut Icecream Rule... or my Do Only Minimal Canning Rule. Rules eliminate decisions and that's a wonderful thing. I think I could be perfectly happy with a Geneva Does Not Yard Sale Rule. That is, until I hear about the leather couches, Legos, brand new wagons, and otherjunk treasures my friends are finding. Then, I feel like I really am missing out by not participating!
Some dilemmas have no easy solution and that is certainly true in this case. All I have left to say is this: Locals, is you see a grey Ford Escape on the roads between May and September please proceed with extra caution. I can assure you the driver's mind is not on the road and she is experiencing a lot of stress. Also, be prepared for sudden stops and turns because the driver is not good at following her own rule about yard sales. Happy summer to you!
In other news, I will not mention where I purchased these shoes. Ok, I'll just give you a teeny hint. It might have been on a table beside those cute chairs.
Ugh! Just saying the word makes me feel nervous and stressed and I will explain why. This is what happens in my brain when I encounter a yard sale.
"Oh, I wonder what all those cars are doing up ahead? Probably just pulled off for a yard sale. YARD SALE! You should stop, Geneva. Yes, every good and frugal Mennonite lady stops at yard sales. Do I have any cash with me? Yes, I have forty bucks. Wow, just think of how many things that could buy at a yard sale! It looks like they have some very cute chairs. But, you don't need chairs, Geneva. You need little girl clothes and another set of measuring cups. Do they have girl clothes? Well, I see a tiny pile of pink stuff but it almost looks like sizes she has already outgrown. I could just stop for a minute. It never hurts to check. But I'm supposed to meet my friend for lunch and if I stop I might be late and I hate being late. GAAAHH I HATE YARD SALES!"
And all of those thoughts run through my mind in a matter of 2.13 seconds! At this point, my brain goes into complete overload and shuts downs momentarily. In a daze, I whiz past the yard sale while performing several aggressive brake checks..... still not knowing if I should vere off the road and stop or just continue on with my normal life!?
You may have noticed that while all this is happening, I have not once thought about things like speed, or pedestrians crossing the road, or the vehicle behind me, or the sharp corner approaching, which makes me a very real hazard to the community during this season!
I think the root of this dilemma is my inability to make decisions quickly. I like to take my good old time when it comes to deciding anything. Think of all the options, analyze the pros and cons, discuss it for at least 45 minutes with a trusted friend and then proceed with a choice. And it's just simply impossible to do all those things while maneuvering a vehicle past yard sales.
So then I think I should just make a rule for myself... like my Always Order Grapenut Icecream Rule... or my Do Only Minimal Canning Rule. Rules eliminate decisions and that's a wonderful thing. I think I could be perfectly happy with a Geneva Does Not Yard Sale Rule. That is, until I hear about the leather couches, Legos, brand new wagons, and other
Some dilemmas have no easy solution and that is certainly true in this case. All I have left to say is this: Locals, is you see a grey Ford Escape on the roads between May and September please proceed with extra caution. I can assure you the driver's mind is not on the road and she is experiencing a lot of stress. Also, be prepared for sudden stops and turns because the driver is not good at following her own rule about yard sales. Happy summer to you!
In other news, I will not mention where I purchased these shoes. Ok, I'll just give you a teeny hint. It might have been on a table beside those cute chairs.
This makes me laugh. I hate yard sales too. If I decide to start out to go yard saling. All the ones I stop at have things I don't need.
ReplyDeleteI have a love-hate relationship with yardsales! I LOVE the good ones, but the bad ones make me want to go on strike. I have also pinpointed indecisiveness as being a problem: not only with when to stop and when to keep on driving, but what to buy or leave behind when I do stop, and with only "seconds" to decide, the pressure is on!!! Just this past Saturday I went to a yard-sale at just about the time they were ready to shut things down, so we were given a doll-house (which we didn't really need!) for FREE and the lady also asked if we wanted a wooden doll bed at a reduced price. I said no, but then started down the road towards home and began to second guess myself. I almost turned around, but I had my nine-year-old daughter along, and after some discussion, she was the one to say no, she didn't really need/want the doll bed and we shouldn't turn around for it. So, there's hope, Geneva! In a couple of years, your daughter can help you make up your mind about these quandries! It's a wonderful thing.
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