Life Lessons From the Top of an Egg McMuffin

This morning I was driving away from McDonald’s after picking up one of their breakfast combos. I don’t typically eat at McDonalds as I try to eat healthy but this morning just happened to be different. As I peeled back the wrapper on the Egg McMuffin, something terrible happened.

I watched in semi-attentive horror (my eyes were on the road ya know!) as I saw the top of the Egg McMuffin fall from my hand. It was one of those slow motion moments as I saw it headed directly for the abyss that exists between your seat and the center console. The dreaded area where things go to die, only to be uncovered during sporadic vacuuming or when they begin to stink.

I was lucky though. I looked down and saw the top of the sandwich wedged in the opening. I had a shot!

I stuck my hand down in the opening and I’m pretty sure you can guess what happened next. We’ve all been there. As soon as I stuck my hand down in the opening, it moved the seat just enough to let the top fall freely to the floor.

Given the 5 second rule, my time was limited. I had to act fast.

I thrust my hand down toward the ground yet the wedge denied me. I could see the top of the sandwich taunting me from the bottom. Over and over I pushed my hand down in an attempt to just get one finger on it. At least give me that victory you evil round concoction of grain!

The 5 second rule came and went with no victory to be had. Now it was the mere principle of the matter. I began to employ the umbrella under the seat as a tool to fling the non-compliant sandwich top forward toward my feet (remember I’m driving). At one point I contemplated pulling the car over so I could unequivocally conquer the sandwich top, yet I decided that would be too easy. Plus, I would most certainly look like a crazy person on the side of the road holding a sandwich top triumphantly in the air with a look of sheer madness.

As I drove down the road, I decided to admit defeat. I ate the damn thing without the top.

So, what is the life lesson here? How can you learn from my ridiculous morning?

I guess you could go two ways with it. One, I’m a lunatic and I shouldn’t be trusted behind the wheel of a vehicle.

Or two, you could look at it like this. Sometimes we get distracted by something that is just beyond our reach. Sometimes we are so busy trying to accomplish that one thing that we forget where we are going or what the ultimate destination might be.

Don’t let the little things distract you and pull you off course. Don’t let them impact your journey and invite madness into your life. Let them go. If it was meant to be, you would have obtained it. Continue to drive forward toward your purpose as the reward remains the same.

Then again, maybe I’m reading too much into it.

Or, maybe I’m still a little pissed at that sandwich.