Frank J. Buchman

Cowboy • Horseman • Writer

Best To Go Forward

“Backing is as important as going ahead.”

Well that may not be true in all predicaments. It’s not positive to go in reverse on business matters or in horse training.

Yet, when driving a car or truck, it’s essential to go forward and backward. Just think about how bad it is when the gear won’t shift into reverse. The heart skips a beat and sometimes not the nicest verbiage seems to come out uncontrollably.

Interesting how some really like to back their vehicles. The big boss and the engineer always back their big white pickups into the parking space at the office lot. Uncertain why they do that? It sure won’t protect their trucks from somebody slamming a door against the side.

Evidently those work officials are set up for fast getaway when the day’s done before somebody else complains.

There are bad drivers and many more poor backers. Hazards of reverse are voluminous.

Get in any busy parking lot and it’s impossible to get out without backing yet always difficult to see everyone. The vehicle on each side of the lineup, what is behind and oncoming traffic from two directions all need watched.

Even parallel parking a big pickup with a trailer hitch to go into the post office can cause fender bender. Especially hurriedly running out, backing up and the hitch rams the car behind.

Then there are the split hot water heater troughs in the pasture. They come from nowhere right smackdab into the feeding area to cause a blowout when backed over.

It’s peculiar how an 18-inch block wall wasn’t there upon arrival yet shows up when backing out to head home. Of course, there’s unnecessary but always costly damage.

Drive in barn door space is always the same yet somehow it gets narrower when backing out hitting the wall.

Then parking the horse trailer pickup in the home garage only six-inches wider than the mirrors. Getting in is tough, backing out is more difficult.

Put a trailer behind a poor backer’s vehicle for instant tragedy. Always try to park so it can be turned around.

Blame this all on old age and stiff neck can’t see what’s happening behind.

Future intention is to move forward not backward.

Reminded of Job 23:8: “Go forward to Him, backwards He cannot be seen.”

+++ALLELUIA++

XIII–47–11-17-19

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