You’re the One Behind the Wheel

A small story about gut checks, responsibility, and one very confused construction crew.

Author

Clay Garrett
November 13th, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 8 minutes

In partnership with

Morning — Clay here.

Not that long ago, I had one of those moments where someone waved me forward… and my gut told me something was off. I ignored it, went anyway, and immediately regretted it.

Let’s go. 🔥

You’re the One Behind the Wheel

That Tuesday morning started like any other—cold brew in the cup holder, mind already drifting toward the day ahead, and pushing the limits of the 7:50 AM drop-off before the kids are officially late.

Then came the road construction…

As I exited the interstate, a road crewman stood at the end of the ramp giving me the universal “hurry up” hand wave. I hesitated. It didn’t feel right—huge pieces of construction equipment blocked my view of the right turn.

Still, I followed his signal, turning as instructed.

And immediately found myself staring down a wall of oncoming traffic.

I slammed the brakes, swerved to the shoulder, and caught sight of another crewman waving his arms like I’d personally ruined his entire month—which, apparently, I had.

So there we were… two grown men yelling across my son in the passenger seat, window down, while my kid gave me the “What are you doing, Dad?” face.

And I’m more than a little embarrassed to admit how close I came to bolting out of the car and throwing down in the middle of Main Street.

The truth is, I could easily blame the crew.
The guy who waved me through clearly wasn’t communicating with his partner. He probably shouldn’t have sent anyone down that lane in the first place.

But if I’m being honest…I saw it in his eyes. He wasn’t sure.
And I went anyway.

Almost actual footage….

Looking back, that’s the part that stuck with me.

Because responsibility isn’t always about who caused the mess, it’s about who saw something wasn’t right and kept moving anyway.
I could blame the crew (and honestly, part of me still wants to), but the truth is I ignored my own gut. I favored the convenience of keeping things moving over the discomfort of slowing down.

Real responsibility isn’t just about what you do after things go sideways.
It’s about paying attention to that small internal nudge before they do.
It’s noticing the subtle warning signs —someone else's or your own —and choosing to slow down instead of plowing ahead.

So remember: when it comes to your life, you’re the one behind the wheel.
Don’t ignore the warning signs in your marriage, your parenting, your work, or your routines.
Slow down when something feels off.
Trust your gut.
And don’t let anyone wave you into oncoming traffic — even if they mean well.

They Don’t Make ’Em Like They Used To (And I Have Proof)

I never thought I’d be one of those people who says, “They don’t make things like they used to,” but…

Today Lowe’s is delivering our new refrigerator… which is replacing our old refrigerator… which had replaced the refrigerator that came with the house.

That’s three fridges in seven years. Three.

And you might be wondering: “Clay, what did you do with all the food from the fridge while you waited three days for the new one to arrive?”

Great question.

We put everything in my parents’ spare fridge.
In the garage.

Why do my parents have a spare fridge?

Because when my grandparents moved into a retirement home, my parents took my grandparents’ fridge, put it in the kitchen, and moved their own fridge to the garage.

And if you’re keeping score at home…
that garage fridge is the only fridge I remember my parents ever owning.

And it is. still. running.

Two modern fridges: dead in seven years.
One ridiculously old fridge: still chilling like a champ.

They really don’t make ’em like they used to.

Sorry to put you on blast Frigidaire.

Do red cars cost more to insure?

You may have heard the myth that red cars cost more to insure, often with varying reasons why. The truth is, the color of your car has nothing to do with your premium. Insurance companies are more interested in your vehicle’s make, model, age, safety features, and your driving history. What’s not a myth, though — is that people really can save a ton of money by switching insurers. Check out Money’s car insurance tool to see if you could, too.

What I’m Reading

The Switch by Joseph Finder

I don’t usually read (or listen to) a lot of fiction, but when I do, it’s almost always a thriller. Earlier this month, I finished The Switch by Joseph Finder, and just like every other Finder book I’ve picked up, it was awesome.

The setup is simple: a U.S. Senator accidentally leaves her laptop at LAX… and it’s mistakenly picked up by a Boston-based coffee merchant who suddenly finds himself caught in an Edward Snowden–style nightmare. From there, you get everything you want in a Finder thriller: an ambitious chief of staff, an NSA tracker named Earl, the Boston mob, a martial arts instructor, and a frantic, interwoven chase to recover stolen classified documents before everything unravels.

Fast, sharp, easy to follow, and genuinely hard to stop listening to. If you want a break from nonfiction but still want a book with momentum, tension, and zero wasted chapters — this is a great pick.

→ Check it out on Amazon
Affiliate link—see disclosure below.

Remember:
What you’re seeing is curated; what you’re living is real.
(I’ll make a whole thing about this later. Man, I hate social media!)

Until next time—
Keep the fires burning,
— Clay

P.S. I’d rather grow Campfire Gentleman through real connections than algorithms. If something here resonated with you, forward it to one friend who might enjoy it too. That simple act helps more than you know—and keeps me off the social media hamster wheel.

If you like Campfire Gentleman, here are a few other newsletters I actually read.

Affiliate Disclosure: Some of the links in this newsletter are affiliate links. That means if you click through and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission—at no extra cost to you. I only share products and services I genuinely believe add value and align with the mission of Campfire Gentleman