Having a Ball Breaking the Chain

Gridlock

I have been extremely lucky in the past. I never realized how lucky. Traffic, road rage, a long nasty commute. None of these have even been a factor in my working life. I've either lived close to my job, or worked hours that allowed me to avoid the worst of it. The few times I've had to endure traffic, I've been blissfully serene, listening to music, sometimes reading (yes, reading while driving... and I don't need any lectures, I know it isn't the safest thing to do, but I do it anyway), basically chilling.

And feeling superior, of course. I would never let something as banal as traffic get to me... I was much more evolved than that. If you can't control the situation, you can control your reaction to the situation.

Well, screw all that... commuting every day down I-15 and back SUCKS!!!!

So far, I haven't found a time slot that I can fit my 9.5 hours between that doesn't deposit me on the dreaded stretch of highway that is the bane of all North San Diego County commuters while it's bumper to bumper 5 lanes across. Construction that continues for the majority of the distance I travel doesn't help, of course, but it's mostly just too many people, too little road.

Then there's the yuck factor. See, people in their cars seem to think they're somewhere completely hidden and private. You have WINDOWS people, and everyone else in the world doesn't want to watch while you attend to your nasty bodily functions. I swear, people pick their noses, dig around in their mouths, stick who-know-what in their ears and the SPITTERS. There oughta be a LAW!!! I was behind a guy yesterday, completely stopped, when he decided to hauck one out the window and I SWEAR he spewed out a cud that would have made any bovine proud. As I was trying to NOT follow suit, traffic started moving, so I gagged my way merrily up the road.

Why, you may ask, do I watch? I honestly TRY not to, but it's everywhere I look!

Starting tomorrow, I resolve to look straight ahead, not allowing my eyes to stray left or right but only on the taillight of the cars ahead of me. I will concentrate on the music, not the guy in the pickup truck stuffing a 3 pound breakfast burrito in his mouth. I will ignore the spitters, the pickers and the diggers.

I will regain my auto-serenity.

Does anyone have a good book on CD I can listen to?

posted by Sheryl @ 8:44 PM