Second Chances

There's an egregiously pot-holed stretch of road near our house, on a route we frequent frequently.  (Some might say all of Michigan is egregiously pot-holed, and that would also be accurate).  It's been that way for some time, slowly getting worse with each freeze-thaw cycle.  Now, no amount of cold-patch will fix it...which is not to say the township won't keep applying that particular "remedy."

It's finally gotten so bad, even with the patches, I'm sucking up some of the precious minutes during the school drop-off/pick-up run and taking a different route.

Last spring, another stretch of nearby road was in the same condition.  It just could not be patched any further, but it's low-lying, with swamp up to the edge on either side.  The township couldn't find a contractor to fix the road under those conditions.  Finally, they did!  Not only did this contractor grind off the top layers of asphalt (standard for resurfacing), they went all the way down to the gravel, built up the roadbed well above the swamp and put a smooth, crowned surface on it.  It's like the road got a second chance.

Some life situations seem like the two roads--too damaged to be traversed safely, and only a complete, from-the-ground-up do-over will make things better.  Simply applying more patches isn't enough.

I have one of those situations right now.  I've been patching away like mad, but it's time for something more drastic.  The choices are to just avoid that particular "road", or grind it down to the gravel and start over; in other words, to have a second chance at making the situation right, from the ground up.

Sometimes, the children ask for (or expect!) a second chance, when all they really want to do is apply/reapply "cold patch" to the situation, instead of actually grinding down to the gravel, applying different behaviors or skills and creating a true fix.

To stretch the metaphor even further, I would tell the children that asking for a true second chance is like being a contractor bidding on the road project:  What's the plan?  How long will it take?  What's the price?  How will the repair process affect people nearby?

A second chance should be about success, an opportunity to say "Yes!  I have a plan!" and celebrate a positive income.

I'm ready to do things differently.  I'm ready for my second chance.