The Story
One day I was running late for my yoga class and driving a little faster than usual. On the winding road into town I noticed a turtle slowly moving across the road in the left lane and had no problem driving past her. But further along I saw another turtle crossing from the right side of the road and made a calculated decision to straddle her between the wheels of my Jeep.
Afterward I kept thinking, “I straddled a turtle… I straddled that turtle… I straddled the turtle!” I made it to my class in time, but I had trouble focusing as I thought of the harm I could have caused that fertile turtle. I also admitted a truth to myself – I have a chronic habit of trying to do too much in too little time.
When I mentioned this to my husband, he immediately conjured up a vision of me sitting atop the turtle, holding reigns (like straddling a horse). The image of riding a slow moving turtle should remind me to slow down, he thought. So true! Instead of speeding past moments, hours, and days of my life, I need to slow down ~ ~ ~ to “Straddle the Turtle.”