
My Morning Commute
I am an independent contractor working from home. Every once in a while I go to my client’s office. It never occurred to me to observe my surroundings as I did one particular morning. I stayed in the slow lane to take it all in. Here’s my story.
During my morning commute, I left my windows down. Not because I wanted to, but because my vehicle’s a/c stopped working, so I did not have a choice. It was alright; I didn’t mind though. It was the early fall season, so the weather was not hot. At 7:30 in the morning, it was nice outside. I took in nature and enjoyed it. The smell of morning dew, the aroma of freshly mowed grass (until I approach the maintenance guy with the mower spewing the odor of gasoline), the cricket’s screech through the dense grassy areas, the bird’s early morning chirping, and the fresh breeze that hit my face while driving on Highway 27. I love nature!
My Observation on Humankind
Every time I reached the stoplights, I found mostly the same vehicles and drivers. I glanced around from car to car to observe humankind. The young lady smacking her lips together as she put on her lipstick, a well-suited man sipping his coffee in a travel mug (I suppose it was coffee but maybe it wasn’t), the couple eating their breakfast, a young man yawning (probably didn’t sleep well or was hungry), about 6 or 7 people on their cell phones, a woman who appeared to be arguing on the phone. I wonder what upset her so much that made her face beet red? Three truckers blocking all lanes. The mom trying to comfort the crying child.
Then there was the texter texting away at the stoplights while the impatient driver behind her honks his horn 1/8 of a second after the light turns green. I think his hand was already on the horn, ready to blast it. Heck, I think he honked even before the light turned green, not at me but at the texter.
My Favorite Character
Ah, but my favorite character was the one I saw through my rearview mirror. The young man in the green Honda driving erratically, cutting in front of everyone from one lane to the other and blasting his music. I wondered why he was in such a rush. His desperation did not do much because somehow I caught up with him at the light and I didn’t even go the speed limit! Remember, I was in the slow lane. I guess he liked to be the first at the stoplight. The light turned green, and he sped up past everyone else just to be standing at the next light for a more extended period than the rest of us. Does he not realize that? Lucky for him that the police officer we passed was too busy giving out a ticket to another desperate driver.
I continued my drive observing humankind and their acts while still glimpsing the erratic Honda lunatic swerving left and right, speeding through traffic blasting his music. Then I finally reached my left turn. Just five more minutes and three more stoplights ’til I arrive. That was a pleasant drive. Suddenly I realized that the lunatic in the green Honda has turned down his music and was one car in front of me. He was turning into the department store parking lot. What do you know, I didn’t even have to speed, and we arrived at his destiny at the same time. I’m not sure about him, but I learned that speeding will not get me there any faster. Lol! Sending lots of love, light, and peace to you, my dear lunatic. Maybe we’ll meet again sometime.