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I was using my time recently as “well wasted.’ I expect very little, and it offers very little to others. But, boy, is it fun sometimes.

The video offered an answer to why gravel roads get that washboard top. Hopefully, I’ll find the answer and start to sleep well again.

Here is the answer.

The soft surface of gravel and sand moves forward with the push of every tire that drives over it. The video showed a small homemade wheel that rotated in a circle, forming a washboard pattern in the sand. At 2 km/hr, there was no formation, but it took only a small increase in speed to form these ruts within minutes. Yes, minutes.

The ruts moved forward over time, much like an army as seen from above.

Then he showed this pattern, developed with water flowing in a straight line. Over time, it developed the meandering we commonly see. But these curves in the stream also moved forward over time, though at a much slower pace.

So, folks who drive on unpaved country roads and wonder why they can’t get the road paved no longer have to wonder. Leaving politics aside, I will draw a simple chart in your minds. It is very simplified.

The costs of a gravel road start more cheaply than a hard surface. So, the cost structure starts in the bottom-left, rising in a straight line to the top-right, showing costs over time.

The costs of a paved road are higher than those of a gravel road. So, the cost structure starts in the top-left, falling in a straight line to the bottom-right, showing costs over time.

Your mind should now see a big “X”.

Where the two lines cross is the point in time and cost at which a business case can be made to pave a gravel road.

I have my own coping mechanism for dealing with the ruts in my life. A rule of thumb is that after two tries at something and not getting the results I am aiming for, I’ll give myself the option of one more try. I like an exit strategy for many things I undertake in life.

Relationships with friends (family members are a different kettle of fish) need to have a value. The value of a relationship doesn’t always last a lifetime. Sometimes they are very high value but fade over time. Or I may need to commit more time and get past a lazy phase.

I have some friendships that are decades old and still going strong. One, in particular, is approaching 3 decades, highlighted by breakfast every Saturday morning at A&W. “The usual, please.”

Please give this a bit of a think. What ruts in your life are valuable? Ask yourself which ones need to be left behind, while being grateful for the time spent together. And which ones need a shake-up of some kind?

Please comment: Send me an email with your bit of a think. I am curious about your thoughts.

Photo by AI request: Create a gravel country road with a slight downward slope that shows lots of washboard ruts. Make it in landscape 1020 x 750 pixels.

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