Have you ever been engaged in an activity where you run out of thoughts? Today, I sat down to write with the best of intentions and found myself lacking any resemblence of creativity of thought for that matter.
Aaarrrggghh! Have I come down with that terrifying thing called writer's block?
My plan is to search my uncooperative brain for something that I feel strongly about regarding loving. What comes to mind is something that may require the baring of my soul causing me to admit my greatest shortcoming when it comes to loving.
Hi, my name is Rich and I have a driving problem. There it is said and the whole world knows I am not patient and loving when it comes to people who frost my peaches in traffic.
I leave the house on a beautiful, warm, sunny morning. I am anticipating a glorious day. I am at peace with the world and one with nature. I drive three blocks with the sun glistening on the dew covered grass, my hair blowing in the wind and a sparkle of expectation in my eye. Today will be one of those not so common days filled with joy and the love of mankind.
Suddenly, out of no where, I have a want-to-be Mario Andretti on my bumper. This crazy person feels the need to follow me so closely that I can smell the cologne they are wearing. Hey race car fans, drifting does not work at speeds like 35 miles per hour. My dream of a beautiful new day has just been shattered like a mirror.
A few months ago, in an effort to grow as a person, I vowed to recognize the words on street signs. The sign that says "speed limit 35 MPH" is representing that max speed for that area is 35 MPH. I have been quite successful in accomplishing that. Granted, law enforcement persons give grace in the limit. We have to consider that all cars are not calibrated exactly the same or even accurately for that matter. I believe the grace extended to speed limits is to allow for that as well as our inability to hold any speed perfectly all the time. What I don't believe is that it is given to allow us to go as fast as we can get away with. (My choice to see it that way)
Here is what I don't understand. Why do I not have the right to be a law abiding citizen and drive at the "speed limit" while those who believe they have the right to intentionally violate the speed limit thus breaking the law do? Angry with me for obeying the law, they tailgate me trying to intimidate me into breaking the law as well. By the way, "following too close" I believe is also another violation.
So what goes through my mind is; get up earlier, leave the house earlier, or maybe take a driver's education class. As the tailgater flies by at the first opportunity, my thoughts go to, "if you took your drivers test today, you would fail". Well, isn't that true? If people actually took the driving test and drove how they drive daily, a huge percentage would fail. So, if speeding and tailgating were right, why don't they drive like that during driving tests or when a police officer is near? I could go on. How dare those mean old law breakers ruin my day!
I have a friend who was always in a hurry driving. He would get behind a person at a traffic light. If they didn't smoke their tires as soon at the light turned green, he would be pounding on his steering wheel and scream and yell until he could fly around them. He drove like that until one day, he saw another person doing the same thing and realized how foolish he looked. I must admit that a very long time ago, I had the same experience and I was cured.
Please understand, this is not an essay on driving skills. What I want to communicate is that there is a pretty good chance that on any given day, we may cross paths with another person who irritates us. For me it might be the guy who is on my bumper and for him it may be the jerk who is driving at the speed "limit". I need to be able to let that go. I need to love that person. If I can love a person who is annoying me, my day is not ruined. If I can allow another to not be perfect in my mind, I feel better about me. If I get angry and retaliate, then what am I putting into the world? I might ask, why should I love someone who is so annoying? There is a simple answer. God made us all. Do we really think that God made me better than you or you better than me? What is better anyway? What I do believe is that we are made different, not necessarily better.
We all do things right and we all do things wrong. We are all different. A bad driver might be a great school teacher. A bad teacher might be a great driver. We can all be seen as lovable and unlovable. It might depend on the moment and who is doing the evaluating. We can all love and we can all not love. That choice is ours. I choose to love, yet in some places it is more difficult but I am committed to trying harder.
I want to be a forgiving person as much as I want to be forgiven. I want to be a merciful person as much as I want to be shown mercy. I want to be a loving person as much as I want to be loved.
So if you have ever been on my bumper and I have suggested you take a drivers education class as you sped by, I apologize and I am sorry I exasperated you. I am trying!
Have a wonderful blessed day!