So I was driving around town the other day and was mildly hurt by the amount of people who seemed to be against my vehicle's objectives. Not that this is anything new; Driving around the city, everyone is in a race against all others to take their turn as quick as possible at any stop or intersection. Those angry impatient engine revving drive-bys, the constant bland frowns, so many giving the evil eye at any slight disruption of their daily trance. This day amazed me though because I was walking to my car with my hood up, bags in hand and my heavy 3-year-old on my hip when a man almost ran into us with his truck. I couldn't see him coming because of my hood. He then gave me that "shame on you" face as he sped by. Then I realized.... in this town, drivers treat one another as guilty from the start... guilty of having their own lives. I sometimes imagine the people out of their cars suddenly all walking to their destinations. Would they push and shove past each other like kindergarteners? Of course not. I guess we are all sitting in what we think are large battle robots that are above human courtesy. I'm not sure what caused this "I hate you, stranger" mentality, but it is too sad. Men, women, mothers and fathers, real people working and doing their best. We all function along side one another and we hate each other. I personally wasn't raised with such a thick skin possibly because I wasn't greatly wounded as a child, so maybe I just don't relate. Then what should I do? Start building up fresh walls of bitter? That seems even less appealing. So, I'll just keep putting myself out there.
See you on the roads. Just please don't run over me if you see me walking with my hood up.
