Some rules of the road are very simple: red means stop and green means go, but a yellow light, proceed with caution, is not so simple. What does caution look like? Should I speed up to make the yellow light or should I slow down and stop? It’s a judgement call and we all know that our judgement is not always the best. . And then we have the other yellow on the road, lines that tell us it’s ok to pass or not. A broken yellow line says that conditions may be right to pass but an oncoming car means “no passing” no matter what the yellow lines say. I’m a long ways from the passing zones in rural Iowa. These days the yellow line I see most frequently is the yellow line that marks the center of the walking/jogging track at the senior center. Slow moving traffic keep left, on the inside of the track, and passing is on the right, on the outside of the track, for the speedier contingent. This sounds simple, but there are always those walkers or joggers who are not paying attention or can’t read! I may be a guilty party. I know I can be distracted while driving and walking .
I could use some road signs or rules of the road as I navigate each day. Stop! Do not say that! Go! Keep moving and don’t isolate. The toughest is when I need a yellow approach and I haven’t a clue how to proceed, much less proceed with caution. Looking at the birdie over there I can miss the herd of elephants coming right at me. First I have to be sure that I am the driver, I make the decisions and I’m in charge of the brakes, steering wheel and the accelerator. People-pleasing puts others in the driver’s seat and me in the back seat. Are my eyes and mind open? A blind driver is surely a hazard, but when I choose to “See no evil, hear no evil and speak no evil.”, I am living blind. How many times have I said or heard, “Hey can’t you read the sign?” Apparently not if my mind and eyes are closed! I’m not alone out here on the road of life and other drivers really complicate things. I can’t control what others are up to and I can get angry when things are not going my way. I’m not in charge of the world or the road. Sometimes I get road rage and really want to flip off my fellow drivers. I suspect I’m often part of the problem and not part of the solution.
Do my years and life experiences make me a better driver, or am I know-it-all who is definitely older and most likely slower? Can both be true? “Been there, done that.” often works on the road and in life. I’ve experienced “this” before and I know what to do, but there are those times when I insist on repeating old behaviors because this time it’s different. It’s not. Roundabouts are so much more efficient because traffic keeps moving and people get where they want to go —as long as everyone gets on and off the roundabout smoothly. How many times have I gone round and round unable to make a decision? Not good on roundabouts or in life. As I’ve gotten older I believe I’m more of a defensive driver and I’m also more defensive about protecting myself and my time. If the sign says, “Left lane closed ahead”, I don’t wait for the last few feet to merge right. This is one of my pet peeves—those who rush ahead and sit in the lane that’s closing so they can get ahead of other drivers because we have to let them in. This is BS. I plan ahead when I can. There may be shortcuts, but I can piss off my fellow travelers if I can’t show a little respect.
There’s that little voice in my head that often tells me my truth and the best course for me. In the car, Siri is that little voice I listen to. She tells me how to get to my destination. Thank God for GPS!! Even if I don’t know where I am going my car can tell me. It’s pretty obvious how useful a GPS for life would be. I’m embarrassed to admit that I am less lonely and feel more secure when Siri is talking to me, telling me to turn right at the next light. See how seductive artificial intelligence can be? I trust Siri. If only she could answer some of my “big” questions.
agingwrinklesandwondersdot.com 