LIFE LESSONS | FROM YEARS OF DRIVING
I’m driving right now as I write this. Well, I’m in the car as a passenger. Father Lachlan is driving. We’re going upstate for an overnight respite with The Sisters of Life. Anyway, I thought this might be a fitting time to share (somewhat playfully) what I’ve learned about life from years of driving on the roads.
SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO CHANGE LANES
In a world as crowded as ours it isn’t really possible to drive in one lane all the time. With so many unexpected twists and turns, I must always be ready to make adjustments in order to remain with Christ.
THAT SPACE DOESN’T BELONG TO ME
It is tempting to work aggressively to leave as little room as possible between me and the car in front of me, as if that space belonged to me. But it does not. And if it does feel stolen from me simply because another car has moved into it, that’s on me.
ANONYMITY IS DEADLY
Father Bob used to say, “Something happens to us when we get into the car.” He meant that we quickly become uncharitable simply for having gotten behind the wheel. When I fall into this myself, I imagine the driver of the other car to be one of you. It helps.
YOU NEVER KNOW
The person who is driving recklessly is probably angry about something, and an angry person is in no mood for a word of correction. Best to be prudent: let him go and let law enforcement handle it.
WE’RE STILL CAPABLE OF TRUSTING
We’re not good at it, but we can still do it. Staying in the lines and negotiating lane changes with as many people as we do should give us grounds for hope. Maybe we are more capable of cooperation than we think. It’s actually a pretty amazing symphony of humanity, life on the highways.
I CAN’T CONTROL EVERYTHING
Sometimes I have to surrender the temptation to control the response of the people following behind me. Sometimes the best thing I can do is keep my eyes focused on what lies ahead. If I set my hand to the plow and look to what was left behind, I may crash.
A HONK TO WARN, BUT NOT TO HURT
It can be a charitable thing to honk in order to warn another driver of some danger. Using the horn to express rage, on the other hand, usually serves only to create new ones.
AS FOR ME AND MY HOUSE
If I demand the consideration of others before driving safely myself, I risk putting my trust in people who can’t give what they don’t have. A better approach might be to say, “As for me and my house, we will use our blinkers.”
TIME IS A GREAT EQUALIZER
Relatively speaking, a man would have to be traveling a very long distance for 10 miles an hour to make a significant difference to the time he arrives. Only the man with little sense of eternity rushes to get anywhere in this world.
BLESSED THE MAN WHO CAN DRIVE IN THE HOV
Some people prefer to drive alone, perceiving the passenger to be a threat to their personal autonomy. The wise man, however, permits the accountability and companionship of the other for the sake of freedom.