Keeping Your Priorities Straight

In todays world, there are lots of things that can distract us from what is really important. While we all try our best to keep our eye on the really important things so many of us lose sight of what matters most.

Yesterday, there was a perfect example of "keeping your eye on the ball".

During yesterdays commute in the East Bay area of the San Francisco Bay Area a woman was making her usual commute along the 880 freeway. At some point she lost control of her car and went off the freeway into an estuary. She struggled to maintain control, we can only imagine what must have been running through her mind. Family, friends, loved ones surely flashed across her thoughts. Instincts of self-preservation kicking in to make sure she would see all these people again.

She struggled to control the car, but she ended up crashed in the estuary... her car pinned under one of the homes on stilts that dot the estuary area. Realizing that her life was still in danger and that her car could sink further into the murky water at any moment, she climbed out of the car and swam to the relative safety of the shore.

Now there are all kinds of lessons we might draw from this story. But perhaps we should be aware of one more fact before we allow the true meaning to sink in.

Through this entire experience, swerving off of the freeway, speeding into the estuary, crashing into the pilings supporting a home, exiting her vehicle and then swimming to shore, this woman managed to save one thing. Her cup of coffee.

Thats right, soaked, sitting on the shore of the estuary, her car slowly sinking into the muck with her cell phone, briefcase and whatever other belongings she had in the car with her, she managed to keep her cup of coffee!

Keep those priorities straight people! You never know when you will be tested as this woman was.