Terry and I both groaned and then looked at each other laughing. Why did we care if the bridge, located past our house, was out? Heck, it would be great for us for traffic on the road to be limited.
We live one-half mile from an Illinois state highway. Our unpaved road runs from the highway about three miles to another blacktop road. That blacktop road runs directly to our nearest little village of 900 people. There's a reason I'm telling you all this. Hang in there just a little longer. There are only eight homes on this three mile stretch of road, five on our side of the bridge and three on the other. When we moved here nearly 14 years ago, we delighted in the lack of traffic on our road. I walked with our dog and rarely encountered a vehicle.
Several changes in the last few years increased traffic on our road. First, a farmer built several large hog barns on a road which connects to our road--past the bridge. Second, a new home was built on a road which connects to our road--past the bridge--and the construction crew traveled our road. Third, an oil well was drilled just off our road--past the bridge--and a truck drives to check on it and another oil well down the road daily. Finally, this is where the village comes in again, when we had major flooding three summers ago, our road was the only road open between the village and the highway. I suspect a lot of folks didn't know our road existed until they began using it during that flood.
The bridge in question with one of those feed trucks approaching. See the dust I'm talking about?
This spring Terry and I complained repeatedly about the traffic on our road. The dust was tremendous even though our house sits a hundred yards off the road. When I walk, my loop contains about a half mile on the road, and three or four vehicles pass me no matter what time of day I walk. On three walks since the bridge has been out I have not seen a single vehicle. I only hear two or three cars a day. I dusted my house yesterday and it's still clean.
While walking today, I realized how much the bridge being out is inconveniencing others. Our mailman has to travel quite a ways around to reach those three homes on the other side of the bridge. Likewise the school bus, the feed trucks, the oil well service people. I'm sure they have no idea how much I am enjoying the same event which is causing their inconvenience. Do the things which cause me hassles and frustration work for good for someone else? Perspective. It all depends on which side of the bridge you're on.
Is there anything causing others inconvenience whose benefits you are reaping?
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