Growing up in Sherman Country, I learned my way around the back country roads fast. I discovered the ways in and out of town, too. An adventure was only a gas tank away. And as long as I had someone riding shotgun with me, no road was ever long.
Sure, there were those roads that seemed to lead to nowhere. After a few hours of not seeing anything familiar, I’d wonder if I was lost. Then, I discovered something. Being “lost” is for the weak. I preferred to think of it as exploring.
Here’s to the wild and restless souls who got their street smarts runnin’ down them county roads.
Confucius once said, “Roads were made for journeys, not destinations.” I don’t know about that. While the road gets me out of town, it also gives me a place to go when I need to simply clear my head.
I’ve Learned More in the Streets
My teachers probably don’t want to hear this confession, but I’ve learned more in the streets than in any classroom. While my teachers taught me about good grammar, long division, and the history of the United States, I must admit that I don’t use all of that on a daily basis.
What I learned on the streets has proven to be invaluable.
I know:
- How to hustle
- How to avoid being hustled
- How to talk to people
- How to avoid people
- How to achieve greatness
- How to pick myself up when I fall
Some of these were hard lessons to learn. Some people are inherently good, while others are inherently bad. Unfortunately, you have to meet plenty of the latter before you begin to learn about the warning signs.
Taking the road in and out of town has taught me a lot. Luckily, I always find my way back home so that I can share some of my lessons with friends and family. Of course, they’ll have to learn some of life’s lessons for themselves. It’s funny how that works. Everyone has to receive at least a few courses from the School of Hard Knocks, it seems.
Common Sense is Not So Common
Have you noticed that common sense is not so common anymore? I grew up in a generation where streetlights were our warning to come home. We drank from water hoses when we got thirsty, and we always knew how to keep ourselves entertained.
We didn’t thrive on energy drinks, oat milk lattes, and Wi-Fi.
No one had to tell us not to eat pods of laundry detergent because we had more common sense than that. And if we ended up somewhere off the beaten path, we figured it out on our own. We didn’t have a Siri or an Alexa to get us out of our mess.
I grew up down an old dirt road in a town that you wouldn’t know.
It’s a good thing that Robert Frost said, “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference” when he did. If he grew up in today’s generation, he wouldn’t be able to offer such a sensible comment. Instead, it would likely involve getting directions from an AI assistant. And where’s the fun in that?
Perhaps Dr. Seuss said it best: “With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet, you’re too smart to go down any not-so-good street.” It’s common sense. It’s survival of the fittest. Explore the various streets unless they don’t look like a good idea. Then, simply avoid those streets.
Failure is a Detour
There are going to be times when failure occurs. It’s part of life. The good thing is that it’s a detour, not a dead-end street.
If there’s a moment that you fail, you simply figure out how to move forward. Sure, it sets you back for a moment, but that’s what a U-turn is for. Simply decide that you screwed up, backtrack for a bit, and then get back onto the correct road.
Sherman Country has plenty of room for U-turns. The occasional three-point or five-point turn may be needed, too. But you know what? You learn a lot from making those turns.
No road is long with good company
Some of the hardest lessons have happened in my own backyard. Did you know that bikes can rust if they’re kept outside long enough? Did you know that equipment will stop working if it gets rained and snowed on repeatedly? It sounds like common sense, but I learned the hard way.
I don’t see those issues as failures, though. They were detours. I learned that it was best to invest in a well-built garage to store everything in. I bought bigger and better bikes and equipment. And now, thanks to my Sherman pole building, I have the room I need for everything, and it’s durable enough that I don’t have to worry about whether the elements will get to any of it.
Don’t Believe Everything You Hear on the Street
Well, there are times you should believe what you hear on the street. For example, if someone sees our garage, the first thing they’re going to say is, “It’s huge.”
That’s what she shed.
Seriously, though. At Sherman, we believe in building large custom buildings for any occasion. It allows us to have the room for all the things we love. And yes, most of the time, these buildings are found off of old county roads. Just because we live in the country doesn’t mean we can’t have nice things. We’ve evolved.
Here’s to the lessons that don’t come cheap! If you’ve had a shed or a garage before that didn’t meet your expectations, we get it. Hopefully, you have enough common sense not to repeat your mistake again and again. Don’t buy the same cheap DIY sheds over and over again, hoping for a better outcome.
At Sherman, we’re known for our quality erections. We can build you a garage, a she shed, a man cave, a barndominium, and so much more. We’ll even take the old county roads to get to your property so we can talk about what kind of building we’ll erect for you.
