Maybe it's an Ohio thing or maybe it's just that I'm anti-patient when it comes to driving, but I've noticed that when stopped at one of the 17,000 lights I encounter on my way home, I'm waiting long than I should be.
Let's get this out of the way first, I'm not talking about the actual waiting for the light to change. I know it's a mechanical process and strictly timed based on some traffic equation. I don't mind waiting for something that humans are not a part of - some things just take time.
I'm more cranky about two types of people - those at the front of a line and those behind them, but in front of me.
See, when I'm stopped at a light, I'm only concerned about one thing - being
able to go again. That's it. Nothing more, nothing less.
I don't really enjoy driving all that much (although the new cd player in my
car helps a bit), so pretty much every trip out is an exercise in getting from
point A to point B.
If I'm in front of a line of cars at a light, I'm looking at the light. Pretty much all the time. I'll glance around a bit for pedestrians wandering out in front of my car (that's a whole 'nuther rant), and I observe the traffic patterns. But mostly I'm watching the light to see when it turns from Red (meaning stop) to Green (meaning go). When it turns green, I switch from brake to gas and go.
Apparently, I'm the only one in Northeast Ohio that does that. Everyone else is messing with the radio, looking through their purse, gabbing on their cell phones, and yelling at their kids. Light turns green and it takes them a few seconds to notice that it's happened, then a few more to process that new info and start moving.
"Oh, but Anthony" you say, "It's only a few seconds. You need to chill out a bit,"
First off, don't tell me to chill out. Those few seconds add up at each light until these fools have wasted full minutes of my life. And I'm the only one allowed to waste my own life. This effect is compounded by the second group of people that make me cranky - those people not at the front of the line, but still in front of me.
In addition to the crime of not paying attention to the light - they also don't start moving until the car in front of them is up to speed. Not even a rolling creep. Dead stop, then they go - once they figure out what's going on.
I hear that in Michigan people drive like I drive - watching the lights, rolling forward as a group. Glorious. I'm thinking about moving.
So, is there any wisdom here, or is this just a rant? Where, you may ask, is the moral to the story?
If there is one, maybe it's that our perceptions of time are distorted by our focus. I see things as a continuation - a flowing movement. If I'm going from point A to point B I'm not really stopping. I'm just slightly paused when appropriate. In my head, I'm constantly in motion. Is this a good thing or a bad thing?
Yes.
I can get a lot of things done very quickly and I can move from one topic to another without slowing down - but I'm also not very patient. Seconds of other people messing with my time seem like years. And I've worn out all the buttons on the remote control.
Maybe I need better CDs in my car. Maybe I need to take voice lessons so I can sing along and not offend myself with my own voice.
Or, hell, maybe I need to just bring a book.
If nobody else is going to pay attention, why should I? I'll just wait until the people behind me start honking.
