Behind The Wheel it's the Little Things

 


This morning I dropped my son off at school (or a block away from school because the drop off at the high school can get really congested) and headed back home to start my day.  I headed home to start my day and when I turned on my block I had to stop because there was an SUV turning around.

Or should I say attempting to turn.  It was a larger SUV and I could tell the driver was a small woman.  So it took a couple of back and forths for her to get it to where she wanted it to go, which was in front of a neighbor's house.  I realized that the person behind the wheel was a high school senior and she was picking up her girlfriend, who came bounding of her house with a big smile on her face.  All of this brought a smile to my face (and my heart) too.

Can you remember when you first got your driver's license?  When it was such a big deal and exciting moment to get behind the wheel and go?  For me, taking my son to school was a chore.  For these two young ladies it was a joy.  That ten minute drive was an adventure.  The drive represented a new freedom for both driver and passenger.  They had something in that drive that I had lost and maybe need to find again.

Getting behind the wheel is a privilege and a responsibility.  It IS a big deal; especially to those who have just gotten that privilege.  Think about that when you are sitting behind a car at a traffic light waiting for it to turn from green to red.  You don't know who is behind that wheel; it could be someone who has been driving for decades or it could be someone who has just gotten their license.  You don't know if this is a hum drum drive, a terrifying new challenge or an exciting new adventure. 

When you are out on the road, get out of your own head for a second.  Yes, most of the time we are hurrying to get somewhere.  We are anxious to get to our destination.  Maybe we are running late.  STOP.  You are not the only person on the road.  (Okay it IS possible to be the only person on the road, but that is rare!)  Take a minute to NOT focus on you, but on the person in front of you (or beside you.)  Are they a new driver, excited or anxious?  Are they an older adult, cautious and slower?  Be kind.  There is no need to honk or use a hand gesture.  Remember the time when you were just learning; know that there might be a time when you will be older and more cautious.

Driving can be more than just getting from place to place.  For some it is an adventure.  For some it is a period of calm. Don't be selfish.  Don't ruin (or make worse) the experience.  Get out of your own head and into someone else's shoes, even if it is just for a second.

I think back to earlier this morning.  It was cold.  I could have been a jerk and honked my horn as the person in the big SUV turned around.  I could have gotten home 10 seconds faster.  But I didn't.  And I'm glad.  Since I didn't I got to see the joy of two friends heading off to school together; happy (even at the early hour) at what the day might bring.  It was a little thing, but it was an important moment of reflection for me.  It could be for you too.

Does this mean I won’t be a jerk behind the wheel ever again?  Probably not, but I’m going to try to be a more thoughtful driver when I slide behind the wheel.  Maybe we all should give that a try.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

We Have Taken America Back

Image
Back to a time when all men (and women) are not created equal.  Where women's healthcare is determined by men's laws and not by medical professionals. Where education tells only the "winning" side of the story and truth does not matter.  Where banning and burning books is a social event.  Where people who are "different" than those in power can be mocked, shunned and hurt with no real consequences. Where lies are acceptable and integrity is  just a word on a page We have moved into a time where rage is the rage.  Where hate is not just normal, but accepted and even cheered. Where leaders can ask to have their "enemies" killed and no one will bat an eye.  Where it's "funny" to see someone struggle.  Where felony is applauded. Where compassion is not shown and caring for others is looked down upon. We have taken America back to a time of pain and suffering for many.  Back to when the "haves" can have and the have nots don'...
Read more

It's Not About Starbucks (or is it)?

Image
  About a block and a half from my home in a major intersection.  At the southeast corner (which is nearest to me), is an empty building.  Back in 1995 it was a Bank of NY (I remember this because they didn't shovel/de-ice their parking lot well and my husband fell and broke his ankle one Monday morning.  I recall this clearly because we were not yet married and it was the first day of a new job for me.  I had gotten on the bus to work and he was catching a later one; only he never got there.  Instead he ended up laying on the ground until an employee came to open up the bank.  Then he had them call an ambulance AND my mother who took control of the situation until I arrived home that night blissfully unaware of what had happened that day.)  It eventually became a Chase Bank; the second one in my small little town.  It eventually closed.  I'm not sure when but it's been empty for quite a long time.  (I do know that it was open in 20...
Read more

As Is

Image
  Today I want to discuss what I think it is a relatively simple concept, but may be difficult for some, even an attorney who might have once, over a decade ago won a  prestigious award  for young lawyers .  That term is "AS IS." As you may know, I volunteer in a thrift shop.  Everything we sell, from all the donations we receive, is "as is."  The items are not brand new.  They are not perfect.  That doesn't mean they aren't any good or worth something. They are sold "as is."  Buyers should go in knowing that. (After all you are shopping in a thrift shop!)  In some cases, particularly when we are offering higher end products, we will actually write on the price tag, "as is." Such is the case of two designer purses that I purchased from there this summer.  (I'm a purse-aholic!  Don't look in my closet.)  They were reasonably priced (especially when you consider the name brand), but each had an "as is" clearly marked o...
Read more