How do you tell a speed bump from a road block?

Just as I start to feel optimistic, the universe drops that bloody monkey wrench on my head. And I keep putting my head down, letting the wrench bounce off, pick it up and go on my way.

My issue is this – how do you know when it’s a speed bump from the universe and you just have to slowly ride over it and hope it doesn’t tear your undercarriage out or when it’s a roadblock and you have to stop, re-think your entire approach to get to your destination and go back to one.

Pop-o-matic rules today. Go back to the start.

So frustrated with things being so close then slipping away, right through my fingers as I reach out to grasp and hold and clutch so I don’t lose them. From my professional life to my personal life. I’ve tried leaving the hand open and letting things just fall through as they may. Even more frustrating.

Not sure what to do. So many things in my life are so good and so happy and so lovely right now but the couple of things that are not are major and disrupt the rest of the niceness.

Wow, 24 hours of feeling good before the monkey wrench dropped.

There’s an old Taoist tale I try to subscribe to – the Old Master is walking down a main street in the town and he comes upon most of the townsfolk standing in the middle of the street, not going anywhere. He makes his way to the front of the crowd and finds the way is blocked by an angry, out of control horse who is bucking and kicking and making the street impassable. The townsfolk don’t know what to do to get around the horse. The Old Master contemplates for a moment then turns around -- and goes down another street.

I’ve spent so much time looking for the other street and trying to go down the other street, only to find another horse blocking the way. Right now, the big horse has the initials SAG tattooed on its forehead and I think he’s laughing at me.

Speed bump or road block? Drive over and pray? Climb over and be shot? How do you know? When do you give up and back up and park?

Same applies for the OOMA. Speed bump? Road block? No parking any time? “Objects in the mirror may be further away than they appear.” So close yet so far.

I’ll figure something out. I’m not willing to park yet, I guess. Just tired of spinning my wheels – literately and figuratively. Right now I would appreciate some guy in an orange vest, waving a flashlight and showing me the access road along the main strip that I missed so I can go on my merry way and get to where I’m supposed to be.