I was making my way back home from running a couple of errands. There was a car that was tailing me. Okay, admittedly tailing sounds far more dramatic than what was actually happening.
Truth be told I consider myself a novice when it comes to driving. I simply do not own a car so I just do not get that much practise. The matter at hand is that one this particular day, I was driving far too awkwardly to let everyone go on about their day with ease; if I do say so myself.
You know those drivers that strike the fine balance of not fast enough keep up with your accelerating speed so you have to overtake them and also not slow enough to just let you overtake them with swiftly and seamlessly? Well I was being that driver. Driving ‘awkwardly’ as I would like to call it. I call it that because I feel that way and I suppose that is the same way I make driver coming up from behind me feel.At the present moment as I improve my driving skills, that is the state of my experience behind the wheel most of the time.
The particular instance that inspired this piece, happened just after I had quickly went through Derek Siver’s Hell Yeah Or Hell No. In one of the chapters, he expresses the disinterest he was developing for driving through what should have been a scenic route. The route was made of great views with from a road with twists and turns. Besides the fact the he usually drove up that route when visiting a loved one, his experience just was not all that flattering.
It is such an oxymoron to think that what is said to make great roads for driving inspired anxiety in him. It was all because of the difficult twists and turns that he had to negotiate by driving super slowly and cautiously. The hoots and the accumulating queue of cars behind him stole all the joy of going past that beautiful route and even from visiting his loved one.
Since I do not remember the story as accurately for someone who is retelling it, keep reservations to hear it better told once more. Regardless, the lesson I learnt from this story especially after feeling nerves from managing traffic and the anxiety of not being ‘ideal’ for what was going on around me, was for me to focus on myself.
Ever since I decided for myself at what speeds I thought would be ideal to travel on on certain roads be it in my neighbourhood, in city and on the freeway I just stick to them regardless of what is going on around me.
This became a life lesson for me. Just like Derek also removed his rearview mirror and ignore hoots from the drivers behind him, he could now begin to enjoy his drive on that route. My focus has now been on my journey and all the beauties that litter it. The scenic view and the sharp twists and turns that are making up my pathway have reclaimed their simple majesty. I can once more enjoy them and cast away any expectation to go faster.
I know where I am want to be, the rush or the lack thereof is mine and to be influenced by the hoots of from the Joneses is an injustice to my journey.
