Carol Moehrle
The train of life: sometimes the engine, sometimes the caboose, always connected and working together.
I grew up near a train track. Trains were a regular, dependable presence in our lives. We knew the schedule and could count on them to always run as predicted. The conductor would sound the whistle at the crossing, and of course we thought he was doing it just for us. Although the train track is no longer functioning where I grew up, I still love trains.
I also find the analogy of a train to be insightful. Trains transport people and products from place to place, of course, but the interconnectedness of the cars is much like our life. The train cars pull together, just like we do at work and home: we all pull together to get jobs done.
The train has an engine or two or three, depending on the size of the train. In life, we may be in the position of the engine. Or we have a team that shares that role. Parents or adults in a home are usually the engine that drives the train. Teachers are usually the engine in the classroom, leading the students through their daily learning. You may also be a leader or manager at work, or the front-line person with the view of what’s coming next.
Or maybe you are a boxcar who carries the load for others—someone who supports others and has resources and products to share. If we are fortunate to have peers and support groups in our work settings, we can rotate our train functions to spread the workload and the experience of doing different tasks.
Like every train, life has people who function as a caboose—the car at the end that supports and pushes from behind, the one that follows up and makes sure every other car is still in order. You may be the wrap-up person in life and function more like the caboose.
Whether pulling or pushing, each car is critically important in moving the train forward and keeping it going. In life, we need each other leading, pulling, and pushing to make it down the tracks successfully.
Just like a train, our lives are easier when we support each other and join together in the tasks at hand. Each day, consider which role you are playing, and never forget how critical your role is in the train of life.
b-Resilient