Richard Adkins
News Photographer

There’s an old truck driving song that claims the singer is “Looking at the world through a windshield”… I know the feeling, I spend a lot of time on the road.

It’s one hundred and thirty two miles perfectly from the back door of WRAL to the Old Courthouse in Wilmington, NC. I know this all too well, I drove it 6 times last week. It’s two hours, add some change if you hit traffic, and it’s all interstate four lane. Sort of a boring drive, but one you can put both the engine and your mind on cruise control.

Think about it, two hours each way, that’s four hours total and half of an average work day. Add it all up, then add Friday’s trip to Greenville, and you get half the average work week spent behind the wheel.

Don’t get me wrong, I love to drive. I enjoy a few hours of uninterrupted NPR, or listening to some Classic Rock on the FM. I really do like being behind the wheel. There’s something peaceful about a long drive and time to think through things.

I guess looking through the windshield isn’t such a bad thing… as long as I take the time to get out and view the world as it really is.