Bad Drivers Are People Too.. Cut Us A Brake!

I wasn't really sure where I was going to go with this topic but here's my best shot. When I read that title, I'm reminded of how often traffic gives me the opportunity to put into practice, the tools I've learned in recovery that keep me from making mountains out of mole hills.

Ahh, Traffic City. Driving around Traverse this time of year starts to get old for a small-town guy like me. I generally spend at least a day or two driving around Northern Michigan for work. When I compare my reactions to other people's unique styles of driving now, to say, how I would have reacted 6 years ago, it's probably night and day. I remember a guy passing me on a winding road in the middle of winter and flipped my shit. I chased him down, honking, shining my brights, all the way to the point where he stopped his car like he was going to get out but didn't. That ruined the rest of my day, and I can pretty much guarantee I drank more heavily that day/night and it was his fault.

I don't want to go on about it but man, I am so much more accepting of everyone else's decisions and honestly have a much more empathetic approach these days. For me, it all started with the practice of saying a little prayer in those situations. All I wanted from it was the understanding that traffic isn't always just going to flow the way I think it should. And it seemed to help. These days, I notice it's more just my natural reaction to stay calm and be patient. Maybe there's a perfectly good reason they're in such a hurry.