Spiritual Mechanics

[‘Understanding Spirituality in Logical Terms,’ serves as the introduction to this article]

I’ve always resented urban driving.  The constant stopping and delays peak my impatient and control-seeking personality traits.  Often one could witness my car weaving in and out of lanes coming within inches of other cars, rapidly accelerating through yellow lights and even the occasional red light, or being pulled over by the fuzz for any one of these or many other offenses.  One enlightening day, while my beloved Charlie rode with me in the backseat, I was focused not on the light directly in front of me, but the light after.  Hoping I could make it through both lights, because waiting two minutes just may be the death of me, I dropped a gear in true ‘Starsky’ fashion and began to accelerate.  Well, in turns out that you can’t make it through the second light when the driver in front of you decides to stop at the first light.  Realizing that I wasn’t making it through either light I quickly slammed my car into first gear, stomped on the brakes and watched a small yelping figure soar from the backseat into the dashboard.   As the fur settled I smelled the aroma of burnt rubber and observed the irate yells and gestures of other drivers.  Appalled by my own recklessness I asked, ‘who the fuck is driving my car?!’  In that moment it became clear that I consistently allowed an anxiety-saturated mad woman behind the wheel of my car, and in doing so I put everything I hold dear in serious danger.

We’re all familiar with the three components of human beings which together create wholeness; the Mind, Body and Soul.  This article represents a practical analogy to help elucidate how these pieces fit together, relate to one another, and how you can ensure their harmony and inner balance.  I will largely abstain from reflecting on my own understanding of the analogy, wanting each person to interpret it for themselves; but here’s the general concept:

1. Mind=Driver
2. Body=Car
3. Soul=Passenger (whatever/whomever you envision as wise, perfect, powerful , eternal, etc.)

NOTE: Regarding the Soul, its very existence in the human world is dependent on the Mind and Body.  This complicates the analogy, so please keep this critical point in mind.

DRIVER

The number one cause of all accidents is the Driver suffering from a classic case of ‘Head-Shoved-Up-Own-Ass’ syndrome.  They are unable to see, hear or operate their Car effectively, basically taking a piss all over the well-being of the Car and Passenger.  Not paying attention to the road they’re on, they obsessively preoccupy themselves by fearing the uncertainty of future routes or, still more pointless, putting their attention on where they’ve already been and wondering if they made the correct turns.  You turned, deal with it! Furthermore, trust that you had a good reason for turning, though it may elude you at present.  No one else can make you turn that wheel.  If it turns out to be the wrong road there’s good news, you can always turn around.  Continue to drive the route you’ve chosen knowing you have control of your Car and that your Passenger is there to help guide you. 

If you, like me, realize that you are driving recklessly, you have two options.   One, you can make a conscious decision to put an end to your carelessness and drive with mindfulness and consideration of your Car, Passenger and other Cars/Passengers; or Two, you can continue to drive like a maniac.  Either way, own that choice and take full responsibility for how you continue to drive your Car and Passenger, whose safety depend on those decisions.  If you end up in a ‘crash-and-burn’ situation, know that you have only yourself to blame.  Believe me, sometimes I get a wild hair in my ass and want to drive like OJ Simpson running from a bloody glove, in that moment it makes me feel alive and in control.  But when I end up dealing with a dented hood and a pissed-off Latino woman, I know that I created, indeed invited, that scenario into my life.

What happens as a result of these misplaced mental meanderings and flare for recklessness? The Driver ass-packs the car in front of them or runs over an animal; subsequently causing some kind of avoidable debacle.  

Fact: You can only navigate the road you are driving down at present.  Focusing on any other route will cause varying degrees of accidents, which may or may not involve innocent bystanders and loved-ones or cause permanent damage to your Car and Passenger.

Driving like ‘Urkel’:

• Concern yourself only with the road you’re on
• Don’t care what other drivers think of how your Car looks or your driving techniques; they’re only concentrating on your Driver and Car to distract themselves from the defects of their Car and their own bad driving habits
• Never try to drive someone else’s Car or let someone else drive your Car, and always respect the boundaries of the lines on the road
• Take responsibility for your maneuvers and don’t act surprised when you end up in a ditch
• Blaming others for accidents does not solve the issues that arise as a result; you are the only one who can repair the damage
• Obsessing over a previous accident will not change the road you’re on or the other Drivers/Cars next to you, but it can make you a better Driver by learning from the experience and letting go of blame
• Drive only when you can think clearly and are fully aware of your surroundings; don’t drive impaired, fall asleep behind the wheel or hot-box your Car
• Give other Drivers room to maneuver, especially when you notice them swerving suddenly or leaving their signal lights on for extended periods of time; they are obviously confused and should be avoided
• Don’t drive like a jerk to piss off other Drivers
• Be patient, if you get stuck in a traffic jam read a book, listen to music, talk to your Passenger or otherwise do something constructive instead of bitching about conditions you cannot change

CAR

How many times do you notice yourself saying ‘I wish I had a prettier, sportier or more useful, comfortable Car?’  You find yourself looking around and a saying ‘oh, I like that one… or that one… that one might be nice…’  As humans we never seem to be satisfied with the only car we have, the one we’re driving.  Most importantly, in the face of truly despising the ‘piece of shit’ we drive, we either feel powerless to change it or lack the balls and determination it takes to change our Cars.  So, either grow a pair and change your Car despite the pain and money it requires, or learn to love your car and embrace the fact that your glove compartment doesn’t close and your trunk won’t open.  It’s really that simple.

Generally speaking, it’s important to pay attention to warning signs that your Car is not fit for the road.  Also be sure to care for your Car and keep it in working condition, but remember you will only be motivated to service your Car if you love it and actually want to drive it around.  The points below will highlight this concept:

• Figure out why the ‘check engine’ light is on or you will eventually get stranded and mistakenly view it as bad luck though there were clear signs that something was wrong and you chose to ignore them
• Wash your Car; if you think your Car looks and smells like shit you won’t want to take it anywhere
• Decorate your Car in any way you see fit
• Don’t idly watch as someone puts sugar in your gas tank; be responsible for your Car and how you let others treat it
• Fill the windshield wiper fluid so you can see the road clearly
• Turn down your radio so you can hear the directions given by your Passenger and/or sirens of emergency vehicles
• If you hear the brakes grinding, change them before you’re unable to stop
• Align and balance the wheels so you aren’t constantly veering off the road or wearing down tread on certain tires
• Choose your fueling source carefully as it will determine how many miles you can put on your Car over its lifetime.  Some cost more than others, but higher fuel grades are worth it long term.  For the sake of comparison would you rather have ‘Easy-Mac Grade,’ ‘Meatloaf and Mashed Potato Grade,’ or ‘Grilled Chicken Salad Grade’?
• Drive your Car often! If you let your Car sit too long it may have difficulty starting the next time you want to drive it or not start at all, and it will likely accumulate unsightly rust

PASSENGER

This one is really simple.  The Passenger is the Car and Driver’s answer to all of the issues outlined above.  If the Driver could only pull their head from their ass, or turn down the music, they’d be able to hear the stream of directions and warnings regarding Car malfunctions issuing from their Passenger.  This is critical: First the Driver must learn to listen for the Passenger and hear their directions.  Even still, the Passenger will not tolerate a stone-walling for long, and will find a way to be heard.  Consistently ignoring directions from your Passenger they will eventually prompt them to scream ‘Turn! Turn!’ and you’ll over-correct, likely causing a devastating turn of events.  If this still isn’t enough, the Driver finally listens once they get into an accident severe enough to realize that instead of blaming another Driver, they should figure out what they did to cause the accident.  Were they trying to control the way others were driving instead of paying attention to their own actions?  Or perhaps they were worrying over some misdirection from their past? 

Finally, the Driver and Car must trust the unimaginable wisdom imparted by the Passenger; unquestioningly letting it guide them from one road to another.  This trust takes time to build, but when the Driver crashes the Car enough times as a result of their failure to heed the Passenger’s warnings, both will solidify that trust.  

TAKE-HOME MESSAGE

So, don’t let Luke Duke drive your car like the damned General Lee.  That Driver and Car get stunt-doubles, yours do not.  Practice concentrating only on the road you’re on, taking responsibility for your Driver’s decisions and subsequent condition of your Car.  Though life is full of minor accidents and fender benders, these types of experiences can function to add distinction to your Car and develop the character of your Driver.  Treasure your Passenger, he/she/it has no agenda other than providing the wisdom which will safely guide the Driver and Car to where they need to go, and will let them know when it’s time to change directions before disaster ensues.  Without the balance provided by the Passenger, the Driver and Car cannot hope to navigate life’s roads without causing significant damage to themselves and others.