Accountability 101

So I'm driving home from getting two new tires on the car.  Almost ready to make my turn.  I've been riding beside, behind, in front of (that should have been a clue) a Lee Country Sherriff's car.  Finally I see his lights go on and I pull over.

Normally, I'd be upset and shaking but this time was different. He came to the passengers side of the car,  reached in and played most of the time with Mitzee while he talked to me.  Was he trying to develop a relationship with her?  She wasn't driving?!?

Anyway, he said he saw the seatbelt not being worn and since I had just left the tire place, I chose not to wear it.  So I gave him the license, registration, and insurance cards and he goes away.

I take time to read in my book (multi-tasking).  He returns to play again with Mitzee and give me a ticket for not wearing the seatbelt.

I get home and throughout the day I'm just going about my business.  I'm not upset about the ticket or worried about telling Martin.  I don't understand how Meg and Martin can get stopped and get warnings and I have this cute dog that he played with and I get stuck.

But the truth of the matter is, that God was trying to stick me.  Trying to make me come up the plate and be accountable.  It's so easy to play the victim.

Truth is:  We're suppose to wear our seatbelts.  There are rules for our benefit and safety.  There are consequences to our choices and actions.

So, I wasn't upset because:
  1.  Wearing the seatbelt is the law--I didn't--ergo, I got the ticket.
  2.  I chose not to wear the seatbelt--to take the chance I wouldn't get caught--and I did.
  3.  It was time I became accountable.  How can I tell others the right thing to do when I'm not doing it.  What does that say about me?

So, I have the ticket, I thanked him quite enthusiastically and left.  I keep it in the visor so I can see it and it can be a constant reminder to me.  It's the law, Barbara, click it.

Sunday after church I was talking to the people next to me about it and he told me this joke:

A man was driving on the highway and he gets pulled over.  He can't understand it.  Everyone else was going as fast as he was and he got caught.  I was going with the flow of traffic he says.  The cop gave him a ticket. 

So the cop asks if he ever goes fishing.  Man says yes.  Cop says:  do you catch a lot?  The man says I catch one or two.    There you go.

I'm really glad that it happened.  I got caught, ticketed and now I won't do it again.  And if I ever think about not putting it on, I'll look at the visor, see the copy of the ticket and click it.

It really is quite liberating just to do what's right and not have to worry about being in the wrong or getting caught and constantly looking over your shoulder.

That's it for now.  Got to pay my $109 seatbelt ticket and get it in the mail.


p.s.  I do want to know why he asked me what I was doing in Florida though?????  I really had to bite my tongue on that one.  The mind was going off in so many directions with ideas.