stuck in the mudd: part 1
I am not sure the statistic of the average American or Earthican that gets stuck in the mud with some sort of veihicle. I think everyone does at least once and those who consider themselves outdoormen probably have more times than they can count.

Time I got my truck stuck in the mudd
(I know, it is spelled mud...)

I have a Dodge Dakota. If I could go back, I'd spend more and get a 4x4 Dodge or Chevy. (Sorry, I hate Fords and rather not buy non-American trucks/cars, though they mostly are not made in the USA these days). Being a Chevy person, I actually like Dodge trucks. Anyhow...

It was sometime in 2004 during the GMA ceremony of Josh and Jeff on a Saturday. Two of our other GMA's, David and Abraham were helping me doing some projects for Sunday's GMA ceremony. (Maybe it was David and Hammer's GMA ceremony? IDK?) Now that I had a truck, I could haul wood and such across the church property, as well as at campouts. I do remember it was cold and the ground was both frozen and muddy. Knowing I could get stuck in the mud, I parked downhill, while we loaded up.

After loading up the truck with a light load of wood, I started to drive down to the garage. The downhill parking trick worked, until I turned sideways. Then my rear wheel started to dig into the mudd and eventually I got stuck. So here I am 50-70 yards from any road, stuck in the mudd.

Idiot me kept digging myself deeper into the mudd. I tried the typical stuff, like getting help to push, puttings boards and objects down for traction. Usually that would work, yet it was a cold swamp I was stuck in. Next logical move is call to get towed. I did. I was too far from the road and the tow truck was not allowed to risk getting stuck too trying to get myself out. Now what?

After trying all the failed tricks over again, seeing anchored board flying into the air, care of my rear wheel, I was aided by my Senior Commander in a risky move to have his 4x4 SUV tow me out. And the risk paid off. Funny thing is by the time we were 30 feet from the road, we both go stuck and 2 trucks pulled to the recue. Happens that the Chevy truck got us the last handful of feet to the road, while the dude with the Ford was eager to show off his full loaded F-350. Bad enough I had to get rescued by an SUV, yet I was glad to settle for a Chevy to aid me too.

And yes, I've gotten stuck several times after that...

Maybe 2 more time with my Dakota and dozens of times with church vans, both Chevy/GMC's and Fords. Sorry but churches just won't budget 4x4 vans just for the Royal Rangers! LOL!

How we get trapped in the mudd & the definition of "insanity"

Albert Einstein once defined, "Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results".

We tell people at our "Penn-Del Royal Rangers Camp" that when the drive on the field and their tired start to spin, cause them to stop, then just stop and don't dig your van/truck/car in the mudd any deeper. At that point, that is when the farm tracker, with those big tires, comes to the rescue, towing the van/truck/car to the road.

The mistake this city raised Royal Ranger makes too often is thinking I can rock the veichel shifting from reverse then in first gear. Maybe 1 out of 6 tries it actually works. I've learned after dozens of times getting stuck to just stop, get help, and just laugh off the embarassment. Better than getting the van/truck even more stuck and making it harder to get towed out. Also saves time/effort wasted in trying to get unstuck on your own.

Why do we take the "insane" approach as the solution to the issues/problems in our lives?

We all in one form or the other take the insane approach as the solution to our issues and problems. Maybe it works sometimes, some vary rare time, yet why we keep thinking it will work again? And whether we realise it or not, we get ourselves more stuck in the mudd. And it ends up being more embarassing, when we should have just stop and sought out the "big farm tracker". Guess that means we swallow our pride and give up one good ole self-reliance to use our non-existant super powers to bail us out of our own problems.

I can really start to have fun with this illustration and really bash people, yet I'll just keep at bashing myself, since these stories only make me laugh with self-embarassment. (Go ahead and laugh, cause most the time when I get stuck in the mudd it is really funny.

So who is there to bail us out?

I'd say it is a mix of (trusted) friends, family, and God. On the flip side, I know I've been the person who has bailed mostly friends and rarely family out of some "mudd". Doesn't take a fruity outfit with a "S" on it or a Batperson custom to be that help. Just takes us being who we are and being willing. Even when we are not able to help others, often it is just lending a hand and being a support that helps just as much as being the "towing farm tracker".

Even deeper question: What stops us from asking for help?

I already mentioned pride. Maybe it is personality and on both sides of the coin. "He/she can't help me, because he's/she's superbatperson. I'm not going to be saved by superbatperson!" Maybe the "tow truck" of a person might have lots of abilty, a history + rep of saving the day, and ego as high as a skyscrapper, a god complex, etc, etc. Maybe that "tow truck" of a person might feel superior to others because their abilities. Who knows? My points is when you are stuck, you want unstuck and want to do it on your own if at all possible. You don't want rescued, if at all possible. And the sound of that "deisel engine", though relieving as it is, also can grate at your nerves.

Conclusion: being stuck and being the tow

Over the 11+ years of my adulthood, I've been on both sides, bother literally and figuratively. Thing that is most frustrating is being that "tow" for countless people, while most recently being stuck in the mud in many different ways. And yes, I've been insane at times, spinning my tires, only calling out to God, family, and friends for help when I got myself dug up into a deeper mudd pit.

As I typed this out, along with all my spelling and grammar mistakes, I remember all the times I was the "tow". How many people had pride issues that were given my help, guidence, and lead? I can write a sizable list of certain indivuals that won't admitt to having needed my "tow" in life. They might go as far as saying they would have gotten where they are without me, which could be true. Yet I see that insanity and denial flow throw their veins.

In a lot of ways, I know how it feel to be helped when stuck in the mudd, yet I've learned that humility is a virtue and it is good. Not that I need all the people I have helped through the years to acknowlege the curosity that I and others have handed them, it is just that we all need stop, relax, and at times seek out the aid of God, family, and friends, even as embarassing as it could be sometimes.

In the past 2 year's...

...I have felt my momentum suddently stop and my tires start to spin. Even too when I was in 4x4 mode. I'd go fruther to say that in the past 6-9 months it seems I've been driving a truck in a swamp of sorts. Everytime I seem to be on solid ground, I'd start seeing the mud kick up into the air, then my tires begin to spin. And sometimes I get stuck miles away from a tow.

So part 2 for my friends will explore some of the mudd traps I find myself in, as I see a solid path on the horizon.

Btw, I love getting dirty, yet I hate the mud! Call me a mountain man, cause that's what I am. leave the swamps for the crazy people and their swamp boats!

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And for "part 2", check it out on my lj, if you have access.

Labels: life, life_lessons, philosophy, pragmatic