Hurry Up And Wait

Last night, as I was on the road in search of fast-food treasure, I found myself at a traffic light that preceded an overpass. Its steep incline made my inner-child shout, "I wanna be king of the mountain!".

Being no stranger to this particular stretch of road, I knew what awaited me on the other side of this "mountain" was yet another red traffic light. So, I decided to go easy on my little 4-cylinder chariot and slowly make my way up and over. The driver behind me did not appreciate my strategy. Were I proficient in speaking Horn, I surely would have blushed at the expletives laced within the high-pitched battle cry of my latest bumper-buddy.

The offended driver swerved into the next lane and sped around me. The crimson glow that washed over the seething driver, as he waited at the next light, afforded me a glimpse of a 20-something white male steeped in unbridled contempt for my lethargic pace. This got me thinking:

Are we, as a society, in a rush to hurry up and wait? Is the unknown so unbearable to our NOW-centric brains that we feel compelled to reach every "red light" in our daily lives with utmost haste? Or, is this simply yet another example of cumulative frustration being vented on the open road?

I am not innocent. I have had my share of traffic violations, some cited, most not. I am fully prepared to admit that I experience fits of road rage from time-to-time (is it really so difficult to use a blinker?) and those times seem to increase as I get older. But I have never persecuted slow-starters at traffic lights, nor do I tailgate those who choose to drive the speed limit. In fact, the only time the word, "rush" pops into my consciousness as being a positive is while listening to the tune, "Tom Sawyer" on the radio.

Oh, well, I guess I should end this rant and embark on my latest hunt for fast-food booty!

ARRRRR!

SMT