Some Wait in Line, Others Take the Fast Lane
2002 Boaz Rauchwerger
Sometimes the beneficial lessons in life are so simple and yet so profound. They show up every few miles along the road of life. We just have to slow down enough to pick them up.
Come with me, if you will, on a little outing I took last Saturday morning. Most of you know I live in San Diego. My friend, Jan, asked if I'd like to go with her to Tijuana, where she had an errand to run. I was available and she suggested we take the trolley and walk across the border, a crossing that only takes a few minutes to get to that Mexican city.
How fun it was to take a different mode of transportation. The San Diego Trolley is modern, clean, and fast. Sometimes it's a good idea to let someone else do the driving so we can take a real look at the world as it passes by.
In about thirty minutes we arrived at San Ysidro, the last trolley stop south, which is at the Mexican border. A short walk on the bridge that goes over the freeway, through some revolving metal gates, and there we were in a whole new world. There's a lesson there that can be valuable. Ever find yourself depressed? Get in the car, drive to a nearby town and take a look around. A change of atmosphere does wonders for the mind and for the soul.
We took care of Jan's errand nearby, she did some shopping on the sidewalks, and we had some wonderful fish tacos as only the little outdoor vendors can prepare in Tijuana. Our waiter spoke little English. However, his big smile and warm disposition served an abundance of food for the soul.
When returning to the US by car, especially on weekends, be prepared to wait in Tijuana for up to an hour or more. After all, it is one of the busiest border crossings in the world. Thus, doing so on foot seemed like a good alternative. That is, until we attempted it for the very first time.
Crossing a bridge, and the many lanes of automobile traffic, we noticed a line of people heading for the US border checkpoint. As we began to walk toward the end of the line, something curious came to mind. We couldn't see the end of the line. And the line wasn't moving.
We walked a long way, at least a block or two, and still couldn't see the end of the line. Then it happened. He came out of nowhere. "Do you want to take a shortcut?" he questioned. I thought he meant a questionable secret tunnel under the border fence.
Before we could respond, this smiling Mexican man quickly explained that, if we rented bicycles from him, we could move right through the border checkpoint in minutes instead of an hour or two.
Opportunities sometimes come in strange ways. The secret in life is to be open to them and not get caught in the ‘paralysis of analysis.' "Just $7 each," he said. Without hesitation, we simply had faith that he knew what he was talking about. As I handed the money to him, this fine salesman says, "a little tip would be nice – anything you wish."
Before we knew it, we're getting on two rickety old bikes and he's saying, "Just follow me." How bad could this be? We've handed over $14, plus a tip, and we're in possession of two bikes. They're not great bikes, but they're bikes.
I suddenly realize that mine has no brakes. I shout at our leader. He responds in a friendly tone, "No problem. Customer service. You ride my bike." We exchange bikes and we're on our way to America. A block down he simply points north and tells us to drop the bikes off on the American side next door to the McDonald's.
We ride precariously between busses and a railing for the next block and even have to ask one bus driver to close his door so we can get by. Then the magic happens. We ride right up to the checkpoint. There are two signs. One says "Pedestrians" and is pointing to the right. The other says "Bicycles" and points to the left. The pedestrian line, stretching for blocks, was hardly moving. The Bicycle lane was practically empty. The American border guards treated us like we were royalty and ushered us right through the two security checkpoints as we now proudly walked our bikes by all the waiting pedestrians. It was like we went through a revolving door on somebody else's push.
In less than 10 minutes, we were on the US side of the border handing our bikes over to a couple of fellows next door to the McDonald's. They were loading the bikes into a white van for transportation back to the Mexican side.
What an amazing experience! For a very small investment, we got the royal treatment. Some people waited two hours. Isn't life amazing? Shortcuts are right in front of us, if we're willing to open our eyes and have some faith. Perhaps it's time you got on a bike, believed in someone (preferably yourself) and took a shortcut to a better future. It all begins with a good attitude!
An Affirmation for a Rider
I am now opening my eyes to a more positive ride through life!
Article reproduced with permission from Boaz Rauchwerger. You may reprint any of these articles in any publication or Web site so long as you credit Boaz Rauchwerger as the author and include this Web site address, www.Boazpower.com.