I have a confession… I got a little bit stressed today. Some call it bringing “tsuris” on yourself. I should have seen it coming, but I was caught off guard. It was more than a senior moment. It was like getting your senior period.

I admit to becoming distracted, because Leah and I were busy enjoying our road trip. We were transitioning from Austin to San Antonio–when out of the blue, I was abruptly reminded that the deadline for filing federal tax returns was approaching.

My personal returns were finished long ago. I wasn’t taking that headache on the road with me. Yet, somehow that didn’t matter.

My conniption started with a late evening call from someone who should have known better, but nevertheless, waited until the last minutes to file returns regardless of repeated reminders to get it done earlier. And now I was supposed to fix everything and have all the answers.

I could have handled it better; I should have anticipated the call. Then I wouldn’t have felt like I was being yanked back to my old reality when I answered the phone.

The notion that somehow there was enough emotional distance between New Jersey and Texas was only a distraction, because there is no escaping the intersection of government and personal responsibilities.

Of course, I provided whatever answers I could muster for my delinquent taxpayer, attempting to put out a long-distance fire through a chain of emails. But after a cold beer and a swim in a quiet pool under a hot San Antonio sun, I came to my senses, and the stress lifted from my body like a hot air balloon.

My journey continues uninterrupted… until the next call.