Friday, January 6, 2012

License to Drive

Today, I have a combined good deed/new experience.  Disclaimer:  I never said that my new experiences were going to be impressive to anyone other than me.

Was driving along a stretch of road (Rt 1 between Longwood and Painters Crossing, for those familiar with the area), where the speed limit is 50 and most people (including yours truly) usually roll along between 65 and 75.  Due to the fact that, if not for bad luck, I probably wouldn't have any at all, I somehow got stuck directly behind an elderly driver doing 25, tops, and couldn't get over into the left lane to pass her because everyone else on Rt 1 was already doing it, honking and cursing to boot.

In general, it's completely obvious that I learned to drive in NJ.  The best evidence of this fact comes in the form of Little M, who, by 2 years old, would repeatedly honk the horn in her Cozy Coupe and scream "Get the hell out of the way, you dumbass/moron/jackass/nincompoop/(fill-in-the-blank expletive)" out the little, plastic coupe window.  I'll just collect my mother-of-the-year award now, thanks.

But today.....today, I tried a different tactic.  I didn't honk.  I didn't yell out creative or non-creative expletives.  My hands didn't flail wildly, and my middle finger stayed put.  I let her go....at her speed....and made sure I stayed behind her, forming some sort of blockade from other drivers, until she ultimately (and thankfully, might I add) made her turn.  Maybe there are some things in life more important than speed- and one of those things is compassion.

I may be marginally reformed, but Little M is still a work in progress--- from the backseat, she did yell "a little hustle, lady..... a little hustle."

A horn is a terrible thing to waste,

Little Miss Sunshine

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