My Detractors

Today's Thoughts 5/24/11 My Detractors

Everyone has them I guess. Detractors that is. A detractor could be a person or maybe it's a thing. Whatever it is, it's there to take away from you in some sort of manner. I came across another one yesterday lucky me. As usual he was very fun to deal with. But thats ok because after awhile you come to understand that no matter what you do in life, someone is sure to come along and try to put you down for doing it.
The problem yesterday was the fact that I mentioned my book during a discussion. Straight off I'm accused of being there to sell my book instead of being interested in the topic at hand. Now I'm not here to complain about this today but I do want to talk about if for a moment if you would be so kind as too listens for a second. Maybe I can get a few things straight in my head so that the next time this happens I can deal with it a little better. Not that I got upset over it yesterday, but it always causes a little concern to me when this happens.

For years I've been preaching the virtues of driving a truck in a safe and legal fashion. Thats nothing new for me. Anyone that knows me knows that about me. The problem I am finding though is now that I have written a book on the subject, some people seem to think that anything I say past this point is only my attempt to sell that book. That I'm only interested in making a profit so therefore I should no longer be considered a person that has any actual interest in highway safety. Somehow I find this point of view just a bit interesting.

For one thing, if I was out purely for profit, I sure would not have set along the path of running legal. Lord only knows just how much I have lost over the years staying legal. My wife and I decided a long time ago that we would never become rich by doing this and have accepted the fact that we were more interested in doing that which is right then we were in getting rich. So we understand the consequences of our choice, and we live with those consequences every day
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So if before the book I was preaching running safe and legal, why is it that after the book I would be doing anything different? To some it will always seem that there is a difference. I just don't understand their line of thinking on it though. What I do understand is the last time I let someone make me think I was a jerk for promoting my ideas; I had the unpleasant opportunity to watch a young lady loose her whole family out on the highway. Mostly because of a truck driver that decided that running safe and legal was not for him.
Anyway, this guy yesterday was not the first and I do not expect him to be the last. Drivers that want to continue with the old ways are always sure to huff and puff and kick at the ground when I speak up with my unwanted point of view. This I can count on. And from discussion groups that I have participated in along the way I know that I am not the only author that has this problem. How to sell your book without people thinking it's just you trying to be somebody. That little problem has existed I think for as long as there have been writers. I'm thinking it not going to go away any time soon.

So here's the deal the way I see it. Maybe meeting that little girl on the highway that day was God's way of telling me that I still had work to do. Quit worrying about what your detractors are saying and get off your butt and back to doing what you have always done, preach the safe and legal driving of big trucks out on our nation's highways. That's is what I am going to continue to do. And for those detractors out there that think I'm only in it for the cash. Well here's a word for you. "Capitalism". That's just a little thing we do here in America. Get used to it.

Jeff Head.
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