Have you ever had “that voice” pop into your head at exactly the right moment?
If you know what I’m talking about, good. Because if you don’t, it can be hard to explain.
I’ll give you an example of why you should pay attention to the little things you hear. I’m not talking about your thoughts, or even things you sense and then put into words. I’m talking about quieting down and allowing outside guidance the chance to come in.
Last weekend, I was driving a back road to pick my son up from a sleepover late in the evening. It was quiet and peaceful, one of the rare occasions I am alone in the car. The music was on low, but I wasn’t really listening. (honestly, if you only have your local stations, there isn’t much worth listening to these days, anyway, is there?)
So, there I was, cruising along, lost in my own thoughts. Probably planning out the rest of the evening and what needed done during the rest of the week. I don’t really remember what I was thinking, but I’m sure it was pretty mundane.
I’m on this long stretch of winding road between some farmland. I’m watching the road and looking ahead to the large curve coming up in the distance. Clear as crystal, I hear the word “deer.” Not in my voice, not from a song on the radio, but plain as day, I hear “deer” shouted into my right ear. ( I really don’t know the reason the sound comes to my right ear and not the left, but it’s 100% consistent to the right.)
Because I’m fairly attuned to this kind of occurrence, or maybe because the voice came so out of the blue that I responded as if a passenger had said it, my foot automatically moved to the brake – no deliberating or analyzing. I slowed down exactly 3 seconds before the hidden deer jumped out of the thick brush along the side of the road and ran across my path.
(Now, sure, I’ve had times where I thought, ‘there could be deer’ on whatever road I’m driving and then adjust my senses and driving accordingly. This is not an example of that. And, although this happens to me often, I still think it’s cool when a voice pops in to let you know of something about to happen.)
Having lived where deer are common at many times in my life, at this point my rational mind took over and said – in my voice, “There’s never just one,” so I came to an almost complete stop just as the second deer popped up from its hiding place in the brush, trying to run across the road. Somehow misjudging, the deer’s legs almost buckled underneath its body as it tried to avoid my car.
Luckily, I had listen to that first voice. I’d been warned, and as I’m watching this little deer try to right itself, I’m able to be at a full stop and she is able to take the time she needs to find her legs and follow her companion.
Had I not listened to that voice in my head, and reacted immediately, there would probably be one dead deer and a huge repair bill on my vehicle.