Love on the 405

This week was focused on loving people who we didn’t know. I had thought that would lead me to think more about women suffering around the world, perhaps write some letters of encouragement to political prisoners and things. What actually happened was translating the idea of loving strangers more into my daily life, which for me here in LA where I drive Miss Daisy Crazy on a daily basis, was other drivers.

Since arriving in LA just over 5 years ago I have developed an altar ego when I drive who speaks only in colorful French whenever we in the Prius are angered by other drivers around us. Which occurs several times a day. I have seen a whole other side to me which simply has been shocking. Living in cities where I navigated my life with tubes, buses and my own two feet I was unaware before arriving here just to what degree of madness one can be pushed as a result of crawling through traffic.

So this week I spent time letting people out in front of me, graciously smiling as I went about my business and passing dollar bills out to strangers standing at traffic lights holding cardboard signs telling tales of desperation and woe.

I’ve really enjoyed spending time thinking about other things; not just things pertaining to my life or the lives of my loved ones but making a concerted effort to seriously think about people I don’t know. Its made me realize how much time I actually do spend considering my own life and from this day forward, challenge or not, I am going to try to think not of my fellow 405 drivers in any less of a light than I would if my own family members were cutting me off in their SUVs and things. Which if anyone knows how my dad drives, may understand isn’t too far from a real possibility.

IMG_4876

 

Tags: , ,

Comments

  • Michele February 22, 2015 Reply

    Chuckle chuckle. Yes, I know how he drives.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *