Life is a ride.  Life is a road trip.  Life is a journey.  Curve-ball…bumps in the road…hiccups…  These should all ring a bell of familiarity.  If the first is a cliche about life in general, the latter is a cliche that describes when life is not so friendly.  My question is: On what are you riding?

In a recent conversation with a friend it kind of came to me quite by accident yet made so much sense.  I see it as the option to ride three trains.  The first train is the “Life Is Good” train.  We all want to be on this train.  All is well, we are enjoying our life, and avoiding any obstacles.  The second train is the Deal With It train.  On this train we are handling our obstacles, coping, adjusting.  It may not all be pretty but we’re calm, still in control.  We know we’ll get through it.

The third train is the one we don’t really like to ride but inevitably get a free ticket.  It’s the FUCK THAT train!  This is the train we ride when the curve-ball came at us 100mph smacking us dead in the face.  We’re angry!  We want to fight!  We HATE everyONE and everyTHING!!!  The LIFE SUCKS train, the THAT IS SO NOT FAIR train, the KISS MY ASS train.

Our friends and family are on their own train.  Sometimes they’re on the platform waiting for us to get off or on, sometimes we are riding the train together, and sometimes they try to pull us off our train onto theirs.  Sometimes their train is so far ahead of ours, or vice versa, that it’s hard to connect at the station.  It’s ok, sink down in your seat and pretend you don’t see them.

In the situation with my friend, the news of a potential chronic illness in a loved one has her riding the #3 train.  Friends and family on the platform beckoning for her to get off.  I say it’s OK to ride the #3 train.  As a matter of fact sometimes we are the conductor or the stoker of the #3 train.  As shitty as it can be, at least it’s the train where all the non-guilt-induced heavy drinking is allowed!

We eventually get off.  With any life experience under our belt, we know that all things in life are temporary.  So if life is throwing a curve-ball straight at your face and you can’t duck to get out of the way, don’t worry…you’re train will be arriving soon.  And you can get off when you’re good and goddamn ready!