Seven Minutes Late...

Seven minutes...

Don't let the time on my car radio fool you. A few years ago the clock was set five minutes ahead and I've kept it that way so I really arrived at 6:37am this morning, seven minutes late.

Seven minutes...

Getting up early to go to work is tough enough. It's even tougher on Mondays, and--like this morning--returning to work after a long holiday weekend, it's even tougher. I set my alarm last night considering what the roads might be light in the morning. We got a wonderful storm yesterday and by some reports, more snow was expected overnight.

The reports that predicted more snow proved correct.

This morning I shut off the alarm when it first rang out. Unlike other alarm clocks, mine does not have a "snooze" option. More than once, I've turned off the alarm and slept another hour. Unbelievably, I woke up on my own seven minutes after I turned off the alarm. I was amazed, even in my groggy state, that I hadn't slept longer.

You never know what to expect when you get in your car and start out on the Utah roads after a snow storm. Yes, it's dangerous, but then again, traveling on perfectly dry roads can be dangerous, too. We just forget when the dangers aren't in plain sight. Thankfully, everyone took their time, or most did. I wasn't tailgated or cut off. I didn't have to take evasive action. It was actually a nice commute.

Many curse the snow, but to me, it's magical. The snow was so light this morning, the sight of a passenger train passing the slower cars on the freeway as it ran on the parallel tracks was mesmerizing. Snow swirled as the huge train cars cut through the cold, the train's light illuminating the darkness and made the snow dance. Had I not been driving, I would have tried (and most likely failed...) to capture the scene with my phone. As I neared my office, the sight of three monster snowplows traveling in the opposite direction, clearing the entire road of snow, impressed me with their efficiency. So much to see, if we only look. Of course, all the while I made sure my car traveled well within my lane and at a proper speed.

I kept noticing the time as I drove and laughed out loud when I realized I'd be pulling into the parking lot exactly seven minutes late. I snapped a picture, then gathered my items and went inside ready to work on a Tuesday that felt like a Monday.

Seven minutes...had I not gone back to sleep and arrived to work right on time, had I seen the things I saw? Had the commute been so entertaining? That's the thing about life--we only get what we're given and nothing else.