The Thing About That Memphis to OKC Run
So, everyone talks about making that jump, you know, from Memphis to OKC. Sounds simple, right? Pack up, head out. But it’s never just that, is it? It’s always a whole mess of other stuff tied into it.
Folks think it’s a straight shot. A clear path. But they don’t see the detours, the breakdowns, the times you’re just stuck in the middle of nowhere wondering if you even packed the right snacks. Metaphorically speaking, of course. Or maybe literally, sometimes.
Why do I get so worked up about this? Well, I had my own ‘Memphis to OKC’ moment, a big one, that went completely sideways. It wasn’t a road trip, not exactly, but it felt like one, and it sure taught me a thing or two.
My Own “Big Plan” Story
This was years ago. I was all set for this huge project. We’ll call it ‘Project Memphis’ for the sake of this story. Months, no, almost a year of planning had gone into this thing. All my eggs were in that one basket, you see? This was supposed to be the thing that set me up, the one that would get me to ‘OKC’ – my promised land of stability, or whatever dream I was chasing back then.
And then, poof. Just like that. The whole thing got shelved. ‘Budget cuts,’ they said. ‘Strategic realignment.’ Real fancy words for ‘you’re screwed, pal.’ I was gutted. Absolutely gutted. All that work, all those late nights, for nothing. It felt like I’d driven halfway to OKC and my car just decided to explode on me, leaving me stranded.
I remember just sitting there, staring at the email that delivered the news. What do you even do in a situation like that? I had turned down other smaller gigs, other little opportunities, all because I was so focused on ‘Project Memphis’. Now I had nothing. Rent was looming. That cheap instant coffee I usually choked down started tasting like a five-star beverage because it was all I could afford to think about.
- I called up a few contacts, trying to sound casual. Nothing solid came out of it.
- I scoured those online job boards until my eyes felt like they were burning out of my skull.
- I even seriously thought about going back to that awful temp job I swore I’d never, ever do again. Desperate times, right?
It was rough. Real rough. I felt like I was stuck in some dusty, forgotten town way off the main highway, no map, no GPS, no clue where to go next. For weeks, man, it was just… bleak. I started questioning everything. Was I even any good at what I did? Was ‘OKC’ just some dumb, unrealistic dream?
Then, completely out of the blue, this tiny little opportunity popped up. Something totally different from ‘Project Memphis’. Something I’d never even considered doing before. It wasn’t glamorous, not by a long shot. It wasn’t ‘OKC’ by any stretch of the imagination. It was more like… a weird little side road, a dusty detour. But it was something. A paying gig. So, I took it. What else was I gonna do?
And you know what? That little detour? It wasn’t so bad after all. It led me to meet some really interesting people, learn some new skills I never thought I’d need. It wasn’t the grand highway I had planned, but it got me moving again. Eventually, that little side road led to other things, and then to better things. Not the ‘OKC’ I originally envisioned, but a different kind of good place, a place I wouldn’t have found otherwise.
What I Reckon Now
So yeah, when I hear people talking all breezy about their ‘Memphis to OKC’ plans, like it’s just a straight line on a map, I gotta chuckle to myself. It’s never that simple. The real journey, the one that actually teaches you something valuable, is usually full of those unexpected breakdowns and weird, unplanned detours. And sometimes, believe it or not, those detours end up being the best part of the whole trip, even if you didn’t plan ’em. It makes you realize that ‘OKC’ isn’t always a specific destination you plug into your GPS. More often, it’s about how you handle the ride when the road you thought you were on just disappears from under you. You just gotta keep driving, find a new path, even if it’s a bumpy dirt track for a while. That’s where the real stories are made.