Years ago, I was traveling from Joplin to Columbia, Mo. It was mid- to late-February. We had experienced our typical wintry weather that week and the southwest corner of the state had been hit the hardest. Four of my friends were together in one car. I drove myself since I had to be in Peoria,Il. the following week and planned to drive there after our business concluded in Columbia and Moberly.
The road was mostly snow covered but had been treated with chemicals as we headed east on I-44 out of Joplin. We were traveling at about 40 mph, which was a safe speed given the road conditions and our plan was to stop in Mount Vernon, Mo. for breakfast.
After breakfast as we walked to our cars, one of my friends asked if I’d like some company for the next leg of our trip. I said, “Sure” and we were off again. As we continued east on I-44 the road conditions gradually improved. There was traffic along the way and my car was soon separated from the other. The weather was clear. The sun was out and the road was thawing rapidly so I gradually increased to highway speed.
As we approached Lebanon, Mo., we began following a MODOT snow plow clearing the remaining snowpack from the left-side shoulder of the road. The road was wet and clear, so I moved into the passing lane to avoid slower traffic. We soon topped a small knoll and there I saw it – a patch of slush and snow covering a couple hundred yards in the passing lane. We hit the slush and the rear end of my car fishtailed to the left at a 30-degree angle.
Traveling at 60 miles per hour we had been side-by-side with the car I was passing. I took my foot off the accelerator and steered into the skid. The front right tire caught a patch of dry pavement and regained traction. But immediately, we spun around and were now traveling backward. The car I’d been passing continued on and we were clear of other traffic. So, I used my rearview mirror to determine my position on the highway.
If you’ve ever attempted to drive in reverse at any amount of speed you know how difficult it is to maintain control. Though we had slowed significantly, I was unable to maintain control of my car. We went off the right side of the road and down a 20-foot embankment. The left-rear of my car struck the ground first. The car then spun around to face back to the east and came to a rest. I asked my friend if he was alright. He was, and so was I.
Together, we climbed up the embankment and started walking to the next exit for help. A kind person stopped to pick us up and dropped us off at a shop at the next exit. A wrecker soon winched my car out of the ditch and back onto the roadway. With minimal body damage to the car we continued on – arriving in Columbia about an hour and a half late. Our friends were happy to see that we were safe, but surely shaken.
It’s a lousy feeling when you’re ‘out of control’. You feel frustrated and helpless. Our instincts are to attempt to control what’s well within our means, as well as that which is beyond.
Today, this is something we confront regularly as we live our lives. It’s something we also experience volunteering for Convention of States Action. I’ve been volunteering for COSA since 2014 and have worked with the Missouri Legislature since 2015. In that time we’ve experienced several victories and several setbacks. This will continue to be the case as we educate our grassroots, work with the legislature and within our team. That’s just the way it is.
It took our COSA Missouri Team three attempts to pass our resolution in the Missouri Legislature. The question is, how do we deal with such disappointment?
Every instance where events have not transpired the way we would like is a teachable moment. Our resolution passed the Senate in 2015 and failed in the House. We focused on the House and took the Senate for granted in 2016. The result was we passed in the House but did not pass in the Senate. We learned from these experiences and lobbied both chambers and passed successfully in 2017. We applied what we had learned and controlled what we could control.
We can determine three things: our attitude, our actions and who we trust. How other people or institutions act in response is beyond our control. Focusing on these three areas and applying what we learn improves our chances of more favorable outcomes. As President John Quincy Adams once said, “Duty is ours. The results are God’s.”
May God continue to bless this country and put it once again on a righteous path to greatness..
In liberty,
Brett
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