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Thursday, October 9, 2014

a million cars can ruin your whole day

This has happened to me a number of times lately - and I feel it's just getting worse - I've just come out of the mountains and/or some secret winding, rolling road and/or path under a dark canopy of trees only to emerge into such a steady stream of cars I can hardly believe or understand. My feelings of fatigue induced euphoria are quickly stomped on by the speed and rush and hurry and the cold steel feel of a car unthoughtfully buzzing by. And so sometimes I just pull over and wait. It's a long wait. But I figure it might save my life. And I wonder if car drivers ever do the same - wait - for anyone… I hope I do when I'm behind the wheel but I've got a different perspective - after so much time on bike and foot - so, I try - and I do see other car drivers trying and I greatly appreciate it - but, still, I get confused - a bicycle is not an anomaly - I know cars pass bicycles all the time - but each time a car driver passes me I feel like it's the first time they've ever done it - too much uncertainty - or worse, too much disregard… we are humans, all - traveling humans… 

2 comments:

John Romeo Alpha said...

I'm working on seeing each cyclist or driver as an individual who makes choices which have specific positive or negative effects on the world around them and me in it, rather than grouping them all together with the actions of one reflecting on all. Don't know if our minds can really work that way, but maybe.

mindful mule said...

Thanks, JRA. I'm trying, too, but it is difficult. I find recognizing the positive actions of people around me helps - there is more positive out there when it is focused on… I feel like we've had this conversation before!