Today is the fourth day of November, which is the next-to-last month in the calendar year. This means that the fall semester is winding down and it’s time to start wondering which classes you’re going to have to take over. This is a particularly stressful time in a college student’s life, as the looming deadlines and final exams can sometimes be a heavy load to bear.

Now more than ever, it is important to take time out and think about what we’re doing here and what our purpose in life is. It’s easy to get a little stressed out over the things that seem to be a big deal now, but will look insignificant as we look back on them.

The other day, I was waiting in line at the intersection of Kerr and Randall, minding my own business. All of a sudden, out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of movement in the rear view mirror and a small, beat-up pickup truck came flying past me to the right of my car.

As the truck bounced in and out of ruts in the ground beside the road, it plowed straight through a mailbox that was in its path. The mailbox went flying, narrowly missing my car, and the renegade pickup driver didn’t even slow down.

I sat for a minute and thought about what I had seen, and then began to laugh out loud for the next five minutes or so. It occurred to me that this guy was probably running from the cops or something, and for some reason, this revelation made me laugh even harder.

In that short time span, my entire day had been made. I felt like calling everyone that I knew and telling them about what I had just witnessed.

What’s the point you ask? My point is this: whoever it was that was driving that truck were not letting stress control them. They were simply doing what they had to do and had no intention of letting other cars, traffic laws, or mailboxes get in their way.

Too often, we worry about hitting the proverbial mailboxes that we come across in life. It’s time to quit thinking about consequences and forge ahead. Some will tell you that it’s wrong to run over those mailboxes, but pay them no mind. They’ll be stuck in traffic, worrying about little details, and you’ll be on the open road, with all your woes and cares behind you.