Heavy Traffic + Heavy Hearts
I recently noticed that certain people are driving more and more like maniacs lately. Even though this is not new, if feels like certain people just don't seem to care while on the road anymore. Not only they don't care about other people, God forbid they make room in their brains for other human beings, they don't care about their own life. In the meantime, I guess it is not bonus check time for traffic control because I don't see them anywhere. I'm pretty sure they will start showing up right before Christmas time.
Two weeks ago, the day when the tractor trailer got on fire under 285 in the perimeter area and shut 285 both ways, I was coming home that night from Lawrenceville and I got to 285. Since I was driving by memory, I didn't check the maps app on my phone for alternative routes. Still, before I got to the massive vehicle line parked in 285, I had already seen 3 more accidents. One of the cars I saw was on fire on the right side of 285.
WHAT IS WRONG WITH US??? Why is it that adrenaline can rule over safety? Why is it that the rush of getting from point A to B would have priority over getting hurt or hurt somebody else? Why is it that the 'right now' is more important than the 'ever after'? What is taking control of our minds so much that we can't seem to find the way to organize our thoughts? There are so many other ways we can release any kind of itch that is obviously tormenting us in the quiet environment of our car. Is quietnes actually the issue here? Are we afraid to meet with certain thoughts in the loneliness of our travel? Maybe I went too deep and dark. Still, I think overconfidence, in this case, is overrated. It becomes plain blindness. There are too many stories and statistics and this patern is getting old.
Life is simply precious, regardless of any situation. Not only mine and the life of the people I love. The life of strangers is precious as well. Enjoying life doesn't start by only making safe choices. It starts by enjoying every moment. It starts by appreciating the fact that I can wake up and breathe. From then on, it is a game of decisions. The kind of day that is ahead of us will depend on our train of thoughts and the decisions we make at every encounter. At the end of the road, most of the things that affect us end up being out of our control, like traffic.
Let's not waste our life, or even a moment, with careless decisions. One thought at a time. Every emotion can be controlled by our mind, even anger. Like everything else that need developing, it requires discipline. The majority of deadly accidents start with someone's careless decision, distraction. I recognize that, even though I'm getting better at putting my phone down when driving, I could improve some more. No type of communication is worth my life.
