What's the hurry?!
14th of April 2015
I remember one day when my brother was driving us to school, he asked "why are people in such a hurry to get to work? Nobody wants to go to work." He has a point. However, I hate being on the road with all the dangerous drivers. The drivers my brother was asking about are the ones I'm afraid will cause serious trouble to me or someone else.
There are plenty of things on the road that bug me. Someone who doesn't use his or her blinker. Cutting me off. Texting and driving or cellphone use in general with no regard of what's going on on the road. Not at least doing the speed limit in the passing lane so I can pass. I could go on and on.
However, that's not my concern. My concern is what my brother asked. Why are we in such a hurry? It's one thing if a loved one is in the hospital or if transporting one to seek medical attention. I have to wonder if driving there faster is going to change anything (unless, of course, it's an ambulance). How many times has someone passed you, and when you're stopped at a stoplight, you're stopped next to the one that passed you? In reality, they didn't save any time or gain any advantage by speeding by. They only made it to the red light quicker.
For a society that loves football so much, they seemed to show an appreciation for NASCAR more by trying to reenact some of the race car drivers' tricks on the track. Everyone says and thinks that he or she is a good driver. Are you really though? Or are you just trying to get to your destination faster by any means necessary? Do you watch what you're doing, or are you counting on someone else to do it for you? All of this just so you can make it to work that you want to leave as soon as possible.
Driving is one of the most stressful things we do on a daily basis. It's very stressful because people become consumed with selfishness that they have a high disregard for everyone else on the road. We all see it every day, and we're all guilty of it every day as well. We've all cut someone off. We've all passed by someone who's going slower. And for what? The road doesn't have to be as stressful as we make it to be. As in other factors in life, it doesn't need to be harder than it is made out to be.
Patience is a virtue; a virtue I don't have. I'm one of the most impatient drivers. As hard as I try to keep composure, sometimes, I lose it. When I get out of the car, I generally feel better. On road trips, I often go to rest stops not because I need to go to the restroom. I need to cool down because I can't stand some of the things on the road. I like to enjoy the scenery when I take road trips. I like to just take a break from life. Oddly enough, a drive on the road can be relaxing. However, a city road isn't the road for relaxation. Let's face it. There's too many stupid people.
So in essence, most of our stress on the road affects how we enjoy our every day life. One time, when a friend of mine and I were looking for a place to park for the Farmers Market in Des Moines, we came across this car coming from the other direction. He stopped all the sudden and yelled at us to move it. I flipped him off, which I know I shouldn't have done. However, it was the heat of the moment. We were doing nothing wrong, and he was about to do an illegal U-turn. It was illegal because it was a double solid yellow lined road. Later on during our time at the Farmers Market, he saw us and started talking shite. We kept walking because it wasn't worth our time. I know he wanted to feel tough, so I let him. I was wrong for flipping him off, but most of all, I was wrong for letting him get to me.
I can't control how he reacted (which was as childish as me flipping him off), but I do control how I react. As much as I call people like that stupid, I cannot fix it. I need to not waste my time with trying to fix it, or otherwise, I'll be just as stupid as what or who I'm trying to fix. In other words, don't waste your time on small things. Enjoy what's around you.
Good day to all of you.
