Raging on the Road

I spent 18 years of my life living in a slow-paced town where traffic jams where a very uncommon thing. On that rare occasion that you did run into a traffic jam it was usually because there was a tractor on the road. When I went off to college, I went from driving in a slow-paced town to a town where the meaning of speed limit is non-existent and traffic jams are an everyday occurrence. After braving the roads of the Triangle, I finally adjusted to the traffic patterns. I too became a road rager. I had no patience for the Student Drivers, the I think I'll go the speed limit drivers, or I'm from a small town and have no clue how to drive here drivers! Well, after 3 years of the Triangle conditioning me to the road rage (no driving for Freshmen at UNC, so I only had 3 years of driving experience there), I have moved back home. However, my town is not so slow-paced anymore. The increased size of the United States Marine Corps has added about 20,000 plus people to the Jacksonville area over the past 3 years. If you have ever visited Jacksonville, NC, you know that it was not built or designed to hold that many people. Most of the roads in the area are only two lanes. There are 3 or 4 main drags that have been increased to have 4 or 5 lanes, but still the roads are still too small to hold all the traffic. Many of the locals from this area are not accustomed to driving under such conditions, making things all the more congested. I drive from my home in a small town outside Jacksonville into the thick of Jacksonville traffic almost every day for school, appointments, or errand running. I find myself yelling at the cars in front of me to at least go the speed limit, that slow cars drive in the right lane, and that coming to a complete stop is not necessary for turning! Before I leave the house, I anticipate the rage and stress that I will encounter each day. But really what is the point in getting so mad? There is nothing that I can accomplish by yelling at the car in front of me, honking my horn, or getting worked up about arriving at my destination 30 seconds later than if I were in front of this car. While driving home the other day, behind a car going 45 in a 55, I thought to myself, why am I letting this bother me so much? I should be thankful that this person is driving at a comfortable speed for him or her. If they were going any faster, they might lose control and get in an accident. I should be thankful for the traffic laws that our country is smart enough to enforce. When I visited Kenya this summer, the only times I were truly scared were when I was riding down the road. Traffic laws are not enforced in many third world countries. Speed limits are not enforced and people drive much too fast. Stop signs? Yeah right! People just pull onto the road without looking at oncoming traffic. It is madness!!! So, in my attempt at being more positive, I try to remember these things while driving down the road. Instead of giving into my road rage, I say a prayer, take a deep breath, or count to ten. Amazingly, my road rage has gotten much better. So the next time you are driving down the road, be it in a big city stuck in 5:00 traffic, on a country road stuck behind a tractor, or just stuck behind that car that refuses to go the speed limit, remember that it isn't the end of the world. You will get to your destination at about the same time, you will probably arrive at your destination more safely, and even if you are a little bit late, you won't be furious when you get there. Use the time you spend in the car to reflect on your day, talk to God, or just relax and listen to a little music. Instead of giving into your road rage, practice a little Road Relaxation.