Lessons * Lessons * Lessons ***** Sandra Martin July 12, 2023

Lately I’ve been was working on a manuscript about things I’ve learned from my clients, friends, basically general life lessons from over the years. Well, yesterday I had a quick intense lesson. I drove to Durham to Costco because I was out of Kirkland Olive Oil-my fav-and other things.

Driving down I was thinking about our Sunday meeting and the thought provoking, extraordinary story-reading and discussion afterwards. About getting intuitions and insights and when to follow those nudges. Deliberating whether it was a “real” message or whether it was plain old anxiety or wishful thinking – how that “feeling” was so elusive and difficult to discern.

So, while driving along I spoke to myself, my higher self, inner self, whatever you want to call it and I requested: Give me a nudge, an intuition and an answer strongly and quickly so I will know exactly “how” it feels.  I believe this will enable to me have faith and follow through.

The hardest lesson, for most of us, seems to be trust in our own inner voice.

I went, I shopped and I packed the car full and got back on I-85 headed north to Bracey.

About twenty or thirty miles into the journey home, I heard this soft but clear voice, “put on your seatbelt” – straightforward, clear words, a simple message: put on your seatbelt.  I said to myself, answering that clear message: I don’t like to wear a seat belt. I am short and it rubs a red mark on my neck and I keep sliding over and over until I am crooked in the seat and when I get to my destination, I am sore from holding my body so weirdly. I continued to myself and the little voice. I reminded my little voice that I had even explained to our local Sherriff, Bobby Hawkins, who had a house on the Lake down from our farm house, while we were waiting for the mail one day. He said, sweet and nice as you please, “Sandra, I notice you don’t wear your seatbelt.” And I told him what I just said about how it hurts my neck, etc.  And he said, sweet as could be, “It’s the law.”

I’d wear a seat belt when I was riding with someone else because I wasn’t driving and who knows?

I had one fleeting thought, “maybe I should put it on because that voice is warning me about a wreck…but that thought didn’t move me to put on the seat belt.

I continued on 85 towards Bracey. There was lots of traffic for a Monday afternoon. A NC Trooper passed me and a long line of cars. We were all driving about the same speed so I didn’t think much about it.  I figured he was headed to a wreck or lunch.

The line of cars he had passed arrived where he had pulled off and parked the pavement. They were passing him.  I finally got to him; I passed him, too. As soon as I passed, he pulled out behind me and put on his siren. I thought I’m not speeding, none of us were. So why on earth was he targeting me. I’ve done nothing wrong.

I pulled off the highway onto the grass.

He came to my passenger window. I put it down and he said looking down and only showing me half of his face, “I noticed you’re not wearing your seat belt. Do you know that is against the law in North Carolina?”

Immediately I remembered that quiet voice, not twenty minutes earlier: “put on your seatbelt”, I almost laughed realizing what a great immediate answer to my request. It was as clear as could be – answered exactly as I’d requested.

I almost told him the above story but he seemed nervous, so I said “Yes, I do know.” He asked why I didn’t have it on and I told him it bothered my neck.

He asked for my driver’s license which I handed over. He then turned to look at me directly and said, “Will you put your seatbelt on?” I said yes and he walked back to his car.  And I was so flummoxed that I didn’t put the seatbelt on for a long time just thinking about what a gift I was given: An answer exactly as I’d requested. All of a sudden, I realized that maybe he was waiting for me to put the seatbelt on. I had to open my car door to get it from behind my seat, but I pulled it around and hooked it up.

Then he returned to the window and handed me a very expensive ticket!

Still, I was grateful for the lesson.