Author: jdavis

A Moment in My Life – Wednesday, February 17, 2021

After four days of being a hermit, it was time to go hunting down some grub. If not for the news alerting me to all the noise in the world of shootings and attacks, I knew nothing living in the peaceful woods of my uneventful town. No, don’t get me wrong. I’m not asking for excitement in my hood. I’m just telling it like it is. If I didn’t watch the news, I would be oblivious and think I live in Pleasantville. 

No sooner did those words come out of my mouth did I stand corrected. I snailed behind the big pickup, listening to my playlist and not minding that we were going 15 in a 25-mph zone. In my little Veloster, I couldn’t see beyond the protruding truck ahead of me. I assumed he was following cars ahead of him, preventing him from going faster. As soon as we made it to the block where the right-hand turn lane started, I swerved into it. Just as my view cleared, my mouth fell open when I saw nothing in front of that truck but space. Why was he turtling? Before I could think further, he made me jump when he decided he wanted what I had—the right-hand turn lane and forced me into evasive action and honked! I spooked him long enough to dash ahead, and he followed behind me like an injured little puppy. One down.

Something about being out on this day didn’t feel right. It felt like when I was back in driver’s training when I felt unsure of where everything was in the car. It felt disconcerting. It was adding to my paranoia. You see, days ago, friends alerted me of the new crimester who expanded to my little town and was still on the loose. Some black Infinity was shadowing solo female drivers waiting to pounce and rob them. Before leaving the house, I told myself to be on my best vigilant behavior and be crystal of my surroundings: meaning, no listening to music on my errand run.

What I needed to add to my checklist was no deep thinking while driving. Why? Because my thoughts were distracting me from the onsetting claustrophobia. I could barely make out what my car, VPea, was trying to say through her shrieking, “Can’t breathe!” My lane tightened. I glanced over to the service truck in the right lane next to me, and he got way too fresh and squeezed into my personal space. I slowed down to move away from him. Hey, if he wanted my lane, he can have it, just not with me in it, that is. No sooner than after I fell behind him, he retreated, favoring his right side. What just happened? Was it me? 

By now, I was feeling pretty insecure, but I kept going. The fun kept coming. Not too much later, I was in a double left-hand turn lane with another big GMC-type truck to the right of me—each of us minding our own business. At this point, I forgot about the earlier incidents. That’s the magic of music for you. We both accelerated on the green. Before I landed in my lane across the intersection, I pressed down on my brake when I felt claustrophobic again. I tightened my grip on the steering wheel, eyeing the older man in that truck, and he was straddling the line. We had three lanes to choose from. Where I was, I was committed to the fast lane. Whereas he had the middle and right lanes yet he was greedy. He had to make sure I didn’t get my one lane. What’s up with that? In a bit, he eased into the right lane heading onto the freeway. What that means, my friend, is that he never wanted my lane. He was just a lousy driver. That’s what that means. That man seemed utterly calm and oblivious to what he had done. Scary. Good thing I was paying attention for both of us.

By this time, I couldn’t wait to get back to Pleasantville. The fun wasn’t over yet. I guess I didn’t get the complete lesson that the world is a crazy place. Before I got to Westborough and El Camino, I encountered another older man out for his Sunday drive and couldn’t decide which lane he wanted. The only thing clear to him was he wanted to keep me out of my lane. Really? Again, another line straddler! What’s up with that? Listen, people, this isn’t helping my confidence once bit. 

That’s it. I had it. I’m going home. Home, sweet home. Almost there. Wait. There’s a Toyota Yaris parked on the street blocking my driveway. I was sure the driver who was scrolling his cell would move once he heard my garage door open. Hilarious. He didn’t budge! I pulled up next to him and waited, and he was oblivious. There’s that word again. Is everybody oblivious today? Now, there was an SUV patiently waiting on my tail. I got ready to honk the Yaris driver, but he got un-oblivious and slowly scooted forward. And I mean, slowly. Hey, don’t mind me and the SUV. We’ll just block the street while you take your time moving up and blocking my neighbor’s driveway. I was sure he’d scoot back after I pulled into my garage. He didn’t right away. A while later, I looked out my window when Ring.com alerted me to movement outside. It was that Yaris. He backed up, blocking my driveway again when my neighbor backed his pickup onto his driveway. The Yaris sat in front of my driveway for ten more minutes before taking off. During that time, my neighbor loaded up his bikes on his pickup bike rack, but it didn’t spook the idling driver. I tell you that Yaris driver had the nerves of steel.

Lunatics. Lunatics, all of us, out on a full moon. Wait. It’s only a quarter moon. I don’t know then. The way I felt, which was not like myself, I thought I was a lunatic out there feeling my way along the road. Maybe these other drivers, except for the Yaris idler, were feeling the same vibe as me and struggling to feel the road, too. Nah, they were just bad drivers. They were greedy, line straddling bad drivers. I wanted to blame it on the full moon. Luna means moon. I wanted to believe that the moon was causing drivers to do crazy things, acting like lunatics, but I’m afraid that the moon had nothing to do with it. For me, I need to keep my driving practice so as not to lose my ability. I don’t know what those bad drivers’ stories were, but I hope they stop being road lunatics that might get them into an accident. Tomorrow is a new day. Next time I’m out errand running, I look forward to a dull, uneventful experience. I seriously don’t care to run into more luna-tics.

A Moment in My Life – Tuesday, February 16, 2021

For some people, it’s an easy task to toss everything out without a blink. Whereas, nothing on this earth can make other people part with their goods, i.e., junk. It doesn’t matter that they would never use those items—even if they don’t work. They are not letting go. Some people kick themselves for wasting real estate storing junk—junk, also known as mistakes, products that don’t deliver as advertised but cost a pretty penny.

I fall in with the third group. I was known as a packrat, which came in handy when I lived in studio apartments. I’ve been morphing into a minimalistic lifestyle—a long way to go—but I am traveling that path. Ridding of things around the house got easier and easier, but one area was my frailty—personal care products. My stash grew with age—literally, age. As age prevailed upon my skin while the fountain of youth in my backyard rusted, I desperately sought man-made alternatives. 

The question I kept asking myself, “How is it possible that I’m indoors 99% of the time now, yet I continue to reap the UV damage that ages me?” Product after product I bought. Product that reverses aging of wrinkles, sagging, dark spots, and so on. During the early months of Shelter in Place, my dark spots faded, giving me false hope. Like this pandemic, everything that has happened is new to me. The first day I went out and stood in the maze line at Costco for a couple of hours, I returned home to find those faded dark spots had darkened with a vengeance. What is going on? Lesson learned. Staying indoors made my skin more prone to the UV rays. I began using sunscreen with 110 SPF religiously, which also protects from computer screen radiation. It finally made sense why we should wear sunscreen all the time.

Alas, you have to play the numbers game before you find the product that works for you. Many reviewers raved about the products that I tried, but it did nothing for me, leading me to believe that it is subjective. I would imagine the products have to work for someone to stay in business. They didn’t work for me. Something on the market has got to work for me! I bought into a small shopping bag filled with skincare products over the last year that showed a minor improvement if any. I think what improvement I thought I saw was only wishful thinking. 

Every time I looked at the accumulation of dud products, I sighed. I dreaded wasting the money on them. I kicked myself for not having returned them when I could. Now, the dilemma plagued me. I spent some money on these. I didn’t have the heart to toss them in the trash. I wanted to give them away. Who could I give them to? I finally got out of my comfort zone and did it. The only option I have is to toss them. I placed everything in a clean, clear garbage bag secured and contained in itself and threw it in today’s trash. Since I don’t know who to give them to, but in this way, hopefully, whoever finds the bag will be able to rummage through it for a product that they can use. After all, borrowing from the adage, “one gal’s trash is another gal’s treasure.”

A Moment in My Life – Wednesday, February 10, 2021

I hear you chuckling. Don’t be shy. I know we all want to know the key to beauty and sex appeal. It becomes more evident with each passing year as we get a teeny bit older. Okay, honestly, age has little to do with this desire. Let’s face it. We want it, period. How we look mattered when we were little kids in school. It was important when we were teens, young adults, and every age after that. It just matters. Maybe more than it should, but that’s the blatant truth. We all want to be beautiful and sexy, and we are, in our unique ways. It’s just hidden beneath layers and layers of whatever. That whatever is different for each of us.

I recently learned that how we look has a lot to do with everything that goes on, or doesn’t go on, in our lives, from our DNA to our diets, sleep habits, lifestyle choices, including whether we smoke or drink, to how we handle stress. Stress plays a significant role in our wellness. Who woulda thunk that? Had I known, I would have taken stress management more seriously. When I attended the 3-hour wellness seminar, I considered skipping the stress hour to shave off some time from the workshop. I thought I had stress under control and didn’t need more information. I worked hard finding parking, so I decided to sit through the last hour and hear what the speaker had to say. In hindsight, the most pivotal takeaway for me was the stress management techniques I learned that day, along with the impact stress has on our cells. That was a life-changing seminar.

Conquering stress wasn’t enough, though. I am learning that everything we do affects and shows on our skin. Maybe not immediately but in time. That means that we can’t hide or lie about how we treat ourselves. Scary, right? It makes sense that everything in our body works together. I know I’ve been starving myself from sleep, and that’s one of my top priorities this week, along with getting back into a steady workout routine. I began working on my diet habit a while ago, and I slowly add a block of improvement to my foundation each week. How we go about improving our wellness is subjective, so I won’t go there. The bottom line is to improve our lifestyle as a whole: diet, sleep, water, exercise, and stress management.

In most health articles, that’s where it ends. Additionally, we need to do a little more for our skin health, which is the bottom line for beauty. I loved suntanning growing up without considering the damage it would do to my skin, from aging it prematurely to tattooing my skin with dark spots. Ugh. That’s my archenemy. I’ve spent a pretty penny on products to eradicate the dark spots to no avail. Now, I learned that I need to keep my skin clean and healthy, and in doing so, that would allow my cells to work as I clean; it would restore my skin from the inside out. Our good lifestyle habits work with our skincare habits to present the best us possible. And, most importantly, I am now an advocate for sunscreen!

When we look in the mirror, the reflection we see will make or break us. We’ve all been there. I’ve had days when I did not like what I saw. Oh, that would be most days, but once I began taking better care of myself, the reflection in the mirror no longer made me cringe. I’m not saying that I suddenly see a supermodel in the mirror, but I see the best me possible at that moment. I see a healthier glow, and that gives me hope. Simply taking steps to treat me better, my demeanor improved. 

The other day, I ran errands feeling good inside and smiling throughout the trip. It felt like I walked around with my personal sun radiating everything near me, sprinkling sunshine on everybody around me. Everybody smiled back in response. I didn’t know why that was happening, but I loved it. I felt great. I felt beautiful from the inside out. After I began reading Dr. Harold Lancer’s book “Younger,” I understood why. 

This quote says it all, “Your own self-image is the key to beauty. If you are confident, full of life, and passionate, you will be irresistible; you are more than what you see in the mirror. If you are self-conscious, insecure, and trying too hard, you will telegraph your poor self-image to everyone in countless unspoken ways. If you feel good about yourself, people will respond positively to you. Self-acceptance and confidence are the foundation of beauty—and sex appeal.”

I am encouraged by this quote. I won’t lie. I’m one of those people who strived to be beautiful with sex appeal, failing miserably. Sure, I have images of certain celebrities I am obsessed to resemble at one time or another. Beauty and sex appeal are subjective. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. It’s true. Meaning, you can’t please everybody. Ultimately, the only person we should please is ourselves. We have to look at ourselves in the mirror, and it’s essential we like what we see. Remember, beauty and sex appeal are subjective. Beauty radiates from the inside out—the body functions as a team. Treat your team well, and you will know the key to beauty and sex appeal.

A Moment in My Life – Tuesday, February 9, 2021

When we began wearing masks, I commented that nobody could see me smiling at them. Smiling was my preferred greeting. I tend towards the shy side. Saying “hi” wasn’t my thing, but a smile was. How many months has it been since we began donning masks? Well, now I am singing a whole different tune. Masking up was hard for me. It took me long enough, but I arrived. Practice does make perfect.

I am preaching to the choir when I say that we never imagined we’d be living the way we lived this past year. Nobody knew we’d be in this “temporary” lifestyle for so long. We are ingenious people with innovative thinking, and we rise to every occasion and make do with the hand that we are dealt. It’s heartwarming hearing stories about people using their talents for good in some way.

It has also been difficult for many people to acclimate to this new “temporary” climate like an uninvited and unwelcome houseguest that won’t leave, but nothing you could do about it. 

I am neither of these people. I’m more in the middle. Neither contributing in a big meaningful way nor struggling to adapt. I wish I had something “big” to contribute. I tend to be an encourager and have been trying to spread happiness every chance I get. I rise early to capture sunrise to share with whoever would accept it, hoping it sparks their day with a smile in their souls. I attempt to write uplifting pieces to warm hearts with words that may remind them of forgotten memories or suggestions to cheer up their days. One of my favorite pastimes is listening to music, and I’ve often shared a song that touched my heart, but I soon realized that my intentions might be good, but my taste differs from most people foiling my plan to spread the merriment around. Oh well, I tried. That’s all I can do.

Without trying, I discovered the most joyful way of spreading smiles around during my recent shopping trip. Did I tell you I love listening to music? Since I found Amazon Music, I can’t stop listening to my favorite playlist. Once I was able to Bluetooth to my car, I was in mobile heaven. Yesterday, I didn’t want to stop listening upon arriving at my destination. With my new cell phone battery, I no longer have to leave my music in the car. All I needed to do was switch off Bluetooth, and voilà my new best friend goes everywhere with me. 

Listening to my peppy favorites like “Feel Good,” “Everybody’s Got a Story,” and “Better in Time” pasted a smile not only on my face beneath my mask but within my soul as well. In a way, it was nice having the mask on so that I didn’t look like a smiling idiot. I didn’t expect that since I began wearing a mask for the first time, people smiled back. I could see them smiling through their eyes! The mask concealed my lips, but my smiling eyes were not. We made eye contact and gave each other a head nod in acknowledgment. Maybe this column should’ve been about music’s impact, but for me, smiling and music are synonymous. I was grooving to my music, killing the Trader Joes’ line wait time, when I noticed the undeniably huge smiling eyes directed at me from the bagger in the next aisle. I don’t usually see clerks smiling like that, but he probably doesn’t regularly see people grooving in a checkout line either. We shared a big smile and head nod, and that made me smile even more. So, let’s spread the smiles around, shall we? All you need to do is smile. It’s contagious!

A Moment in My Life – Monday, February 8, 2021

I was inspired by the “Dear Future Me” segment aired on the Kelly Clarkson Show, where some of the students from Mr. Rich Palmgren’s sixth-grade class read letters they wrote to their future selves to be read on their high school graduation day. Letters reminding them of who they were, where they came from, what their concerns were, with a sneak peek at what their lives were like as their younger selves. They included mementos that were important to them. Their likes and dislikes and what excited them. Dreams and goals that they envisioned for their future selves. Some students read their letters on camera, updating us with who they became compared to who they were when they wrote the letters. 

One student, Tommy, moved away without giving Mr. Palmgren his address, landing his letter in the “dead letter” folder where it resided for the last 24 years. Earlier in the year, Tommy reached out to thank Mr. Palmgren for being that special teacher who touched his students’ lives extraordinarily and unforgettably. They reconnected, and Mr. Palmgren said, “Oh, by the way, I have this letter for you,” and hence, reviving the letter into action. 

By the airing of this episode, Tommy hadn’t opened his letter yet. He was excited and a bit nervous about what his younger self had to say, and the audience was as just as intrigued as he was. His letter began, “Dear Me: You should be reading this letter in 2003.” Followed by things important to the younger him. It was entertaining, gave us a good chuckle, and pulled on our heartstrings hearing Tommy read his forgotten letter—as he read his letter, which heavily filled with his passion for his ex-girlfriend, Melissa. He learned that he remained true to his younger self’s aspirations, with one exception—Melissa. Kelly asked Tommy if anything surprised him, and he answered that he was surprised how obsessed he was with Melissa. Younger Tommy wrote, “Did you ask Melissa to the prom?” Adult Tommy replied, “No, I did not. We moved away before the prom.” By the end of his letter, there was one question on everybody’s mind—whatever happened to Melissa? And the answer was, drum roll, they are still friends but didn’t end up together. Tommy is happily married with two kids and one on the way.

Hearing some of the things that concerned these kids and seeing how their young lives blossomed over six years enticed me to write myself a letter. I don’t know who originated this great letter writing idea, but it is intriguing to one day find a letter addressed to myself telling me about things that only I knew. Things about who I was, who I want to become, my desires, fears, dreams, and goals that are secretly stashed away in a treasure chest buried deep in the oceans of my inner mind. Often, we have a thought but quickly dismiss it as we get busied with life. It’s those moments that would fascinate me when I read my letter. I decided I’m writing me a letter to read on my birthday in July—that’s in six months, a good stretch but not too long. Let’s see if I’m still the same person I am today or who I will be instead. It will be a good gauge for how well I am living my year by how many goals I’ve accomplished. I will soon have a clearer picture of what’s truly important to me. I think I will follow the original guidelines and write a letter to myself for 2026 as well. It should be enlightening to get a forgotten letter addressed to “Dear Future Me.”

A Moment in My Life – Friday, February 5, 2021

This video from GMA3 called “Life in a Day 2020” profoundly touched me, leaving a lasting impression on my heart. It started lovely putting a smile on my face seeing people from around the world living a day in their lives. It was like watching National Geographics on screen. Families were cooking and sharing a meal, hugging and kissing, leisurely sitting together, exercising together, enjoying some outdoor excursion, and babies being born, to list a few examples. They were living life—all smiles, laughter, and happy faces warming my heart, filling my core with the feel-good impulses. 

Not all scenes were cheery ones. I felt bad for the young man having the camera in his face being awakened when he didn’t want to be bothered. I sure wouldn’t want to wake up with a camera in my face. He went along with the camera person. I guess I didn’t need to feel so bad for him after all. He was okay. What a good sport, I thought.

A few scenes later, the young man’s mother shared that the video she took of her son was chosen for this documentary, and she decided to add an update, which intrigued me. My mouth fell opened. My eyes welled with tears as the camera panned over a small display of love with an urn to one side, while the woman’s quavering voice said, “Here is my son now, my son Alex. He passed away February 18, 2020, due to complications from Covid-19.” Heartbreaking! He was 24 years old—just a kid! How could this scene be possible? 

This is why we have to be as vigilant as we can for as long as it takes to wait out this disease. Covid-19 is indiscriminate. Covid-19 doesn’t give anybody a get-out-of-jail-free card. It baffles me how there are still so many people who won’t take this disease seriously!

So far, in just this pandemic, we have lost 450,000 lives, and that’s only in the US. With over 100,000 million Covid-19 cases worldwide, which means at least that many people are suffering, hurting, feeling pain, sorrow, and loss—that many lives changed forever. It’s not over yet! Heartbreaking!

We have so little control when it comes to the Coronavirus. We can only be vigilant and do our measly small parts in keeping ourselves and others safe, but we must do every little bit that we can to not add to the problem. As tiring as it is, it is a simple thing to do compared to the bigger picture. I am grateful that all I have to do is stay safe. Many people in the world can’t say the same thing. All we can do is pray for those people who are in the heat of it all.

Be sure to reach out to someone today and tell them you love them. Life is short, and we are here for only a flicker. Nobody knows how much time we have on this earth. We need to keep our attitudes healthy by filling our minds with hope, happy, positive things like the love and joy that people worldwide are sharing with their loved ones while they do their part to keep each other safe and not add to the problem. This is my wish for each of you so that we can all be happy, positive, and vigilant. This documentary airs Saturday, February 6, 2021, on YouTube; if you are interested in checking out this video called “Life in a Day 2020.”  

A Moment in My Life – Thursday, February 4, 2021

“Hi Dad, how was your day?” I ask my Father-in-law when I call him.

“I’m doing good,” he replies. “I am the same every day. I think I told you. It is the same every day. Nothing changes.”

I asked him what he does all day, and this is what he said. “I go walking a few times a day. I walk the hallways. I go downstairs to where all the people meet. I watch the people and listen to them talk to each other. I never talk. I listen. Now, I stay in my room. There are sick people in the building. They don’t want us to leave our rooms. I don’t go walking out in the hallways anymore. I walk in my room.”

 Dad used to watch TV and read a lot, but now he no longer cares for either because of his vision challenges. In recent years, his day consists of sitting, walking, waiting for his three meals each day, and of course, yours truly’s phone call. Knowing this, I still occasionally ask him, “Don’t you get bored, Dad?” He always answers with a no.  

I am fascinated that Dad could do that. I haven’t successfully gotten him to tell me what goes on in his mind while he sits there. Unlike Dad, heaven forbid if I have nothing to do. I’m a multi-tasker. Having nothing to do, is like a slow, agonizing death. Sitting idle in front of the TV means I fall asleep. That is my response to having nothing to do. Mark used to say that I run myself ragged until I run out of gas, then I drop. He knew me so well. 

A successful day means every task gets checked off before the end of the day. To ensure this, I have daily routines in place. The other day, I heard in an interview that routines make the day fly by quickly. When we were young with no plans, the day took forever to end. The more we do, the faster the day flies. I see the truth in these statements. This truth made me reassess the way I’m living my life. I need to slow down my days.

It’s good to sit idle and take a daily siesta for health purposes, but life doesn’t go on if that’s all we do. We need to keep productive, have goals and accomplishments. Finding that balance is the key to a rich, healthy day well lived. That’s my new goal. I’m scheduling in siesta. Hilarious, I know, but there is no harm in having a to-do list. What’s on the list is what matters most. 

Keeping it interesting, I’m shrinking my routines and incorporating various things into my day. It doesn’t have to be fancy or adventurous. I mean, it could be, if that’s what floats your boat. The important thing is to keep it engaging and change things up to avoid falling into the rut syndrome. I started this new goal by taking a drive out somewhere I haven’t been in a long time just to be doing it, and the change of scenery was refreshing. I returned fresh and ready to get things done. Spending an afternoon in a book is what I crave but rarely have time to do—until now. What about you? Have you been cooped up too long? It’s a gorgeous day, perfect for an outdoor walk, jog, or biking. Maybe challenge yourself to try something on your bucket list that you do today? Anything goes on this list as long as it keeps it from being the same ole every day.

A Moment in My Life – Wednesday, February 3, 2021

On Monday morning, I trekked out to San Mateo after button pressing for 4m19s leading to innumerable Schwab phone options—none led to a live person. I love Schwab, but this was the most user-unfriendly phone system I’ve encountered. All I wanted was instructions on how to make a check deposit at their branch that is currently listed as temporarily closed, but they accept check deposits. It would have been nice if the branch could have provided a recording with pertinent Covid-related how-to instructions instead of a recording that said to reach a live person, enter their names. I don’t know their names. That’s when I decided to take my chances in person and drive out to the closest branch.

It was a good idea to drive to the branch. Yes, it was closed. Nobody there to answer my call had I made one. Only a building security guard was visible in the lobby. Taped on their glass door were the check deposit instructions that I sought. They accept deposits only on Tuesday and Thursday from 9:00-2:00. They listed the three reps’ names and phone numbers to call once I arrived and ready to make my deposit. Success. I got the information I wanted. 

On my way home, I approached 92W, not expecting almost to become Siamese twins with the lone car flying down in the slow lane. I had the median barrier distorting my view a tad, but he should have had a clear view. Since there were no other cars in sight, he could have moved into the fast lane without slowing down, which is what most drivers would do. Instead, he chose to claim his place where he was, causing me to turn a hard right with my steering wheel not to bother him as he sped by without missing a beat. I quickly repositioned my car and continued without any damage. Good, I didn’t feel like dealing with an accident today. A little while later, on 280N, a black and white’s nose was sticking out of a hedgy bushy side patch. I glanced at my speedometer and clocked myself at 70 mph. Good. I didn’t feel like getting a ticket today, either. 

Tuesday. Showtime. Back we go to the Schwab branch in San Mateo. Checks signed—check. Account numbers on the checks—check. Reps name and phone numbers on hand—check. I arrived at the branch in record time. Unlike yesterday, the lobby doors on the parking lot side were unlocked today—another good sign. Once in the lobby, I dialed the second rep’s number with the thought that everybody probably calls the first rep, so I’ll call the second. It turned out that I should have bought a lottery ticket because the representative I chose to call was the one rep on duty. She unlocked the door to allow me inside. It didn’t take long for her to process my two deposits and sent me on my merry way.

After the near-accident encounter the day before, I felt a little nervous on the road. It proved unwarranted. I got on the freeway from the same on-ramp with more cars on the road this time but no speeders. I maintained my 70-mph speed without encountering any black and whites out to catch speeders. The sun warmed my path at a steady 60 degrees. My favorite songs filled the cabin, adding to my pleasant experience making this trip a huge success. Not that I needed a practice run, but since I had to come out twice, it made me feel better believing that yesterday’s trip wasn’t a waste of time but instead was only a dress rehearsal.