Life truly is a rat race and hostility is our cage. It isn't just a meaningless cliche; we are rats! Now that I have a 'regular' job again and I'm not consulting, I have to do the daily commute like every other rat, and I can't believe how much I abhor said commute. The actual driving, or even the volume of traffic I encounter (but I would be lying if I didn't say that it was a little bit traffic) doesn't really bother me so much as the dog-eat-dog-world attitude that everyone on the road seems to brandish like a weapon.
Have you ever looked at people, I mean really looked at them while driving to work these days? They seem so miserable. No one smiles and it isn't just a lack of smiling that is downright disturbing, it is the actual presence of a snarl or a frown (ladies, you need to especially be aware that that does cause wrinkles). Everyone is out to get into the fastest moving lane, the closest parking spot (and it's usually those that could stand to walk a bit more and stop knocking back those lattes with whipped cream that scramble for the closest parking spot), etc. It's maddening I tell you. It has such a profound negative effect on the psyche.
When (I almost wrote if...there is no "if" when it comes to red lights, only "when") I am stopped at a red light, the guy (or gal) next to me always seems ready to race, to beat me to punch as soon as the light turns green. The literal rat race! The first one through the green lights wins it all!
Do you think I care that you took off before me when the light changed from red to green? Is that really getting you anywhere in life? Is it going to improve your day, your beating me at the light? I'm just going to see you at the next red light and we will both be waiting like trained monkeys for it to change from red to green again, but congratulations, you beat me there. You were an entire 5.5 seconds ahead of me. Let's recap: where are you? The same place that I am, yet you stressed yourself out, emitted more noise pollution and used more gas. Way to get ahead in life.
For those of you who know me personally, don't get me wrong, I'm not innocent here. I've engaged in that behavior more times than I want to admit, but it is so obvious to me how stupid it is when I see others do it. I've also noticed that I seem to be avoiding stressful commutes these days by popping the radio over to the classical channel and pretending I can't see to the left or right of me. My driving experience has improved for the better. Seems to be less hostile if I pretend no one else exists. I simply focus on the cheese and chewing through the cage.
--Fortuitous Observer
