Ms. Don'tknowitall

     Back in 1991, when I told my father that I was going to truck driving school, his initial response was to bark “no daughter of mine….”  I heard that come out of his mouth several times that day.  Four weeks later, his attitude shifted to one of acceptance.  I was going to do this whether he agreed with it or not.

     Dad gave me three pieces of advice that I still live by twenty-five years later.  I share these tidbits of wisdom with my trainees as well.  I will share the other two in later posts, but I want to focus on this one today.

     The most important of the three was “the day you think you know everything there is to know about driving a truck, turn in your keys - because you’ve just become dangerous.”  It took me about twenty years to realize that this advice didn’t just apply to driving a truck, but to life in general.

     I’m not perfect.

     I don’t know everything.

     I make mistakes.

     It’s okay.

     I try to maintain this attitude of humility, especially with my trainees because I want them to understand that it’s okay to not have all the answers.

     

     I have learned that whenever I start to get a “know it all” attitude, life humbles me.  It’s almost always followed by a huge no-brainer and there are always witnesses.

     Every day in this truck I learn something.  Sometimes it’s something big and important, sometimes it’s something small, but still important.

     I’m okay with the idea that I don’t know everything.  It gives me something to look forward to tomorrow.