Driving a car is no joke. If you don’t do it properly the ride ends unexpectedly, violently and people can end up crippled or dead. So, never let anyone else in your car whose life you do not value more than your own. Because by coming along for your ride, they are trusting that you do.
Ninety-nine percent of the time that a car is moving, you need to keep your eyes on the road in front of you to make sure you are on the right track and to allow you to spot and avoid any obstacles that are in your path early enough to brake and/or avoid them.
However, you need to be able to glance in the rear view mirror (and both side mirrors) so you can occasionally check to see where you have been, make sure you haven’t left anything important behind you and that nothing unexpected is creeping up on you too quickly.
Side note. Sociopaths don’t have a rear view mirror. Never ride with a sociopath.
But you cannot stare too long in the rear or side view mirrors. What’s behind or even beside you is important, but never as important as what lays ahead. So do not ever dwell too long in the past, or wondering about other lanes you could have traveled in. It can prevent you from reaching the future you must continue to move towards. We all have them.
I’ve never been a 10/2 two handed driver (I hear it may be 9/3 these days). However, I don’t care what Google says, a smart human always keeps at least one hand on the steering wheel or that slow, rhythmic, three beat clap you are experiencing may be catastrophically rocking you towards the end of your show.
Anyway, I’ve always prefered the sound of one hand clapping.
Philosophically and spiritually, I enjoy the Zen koan,
http://www.philosophical-investigations.org/2020/05/zen-koans-what-is-sound-of-one-hand.html
And literally, think it’s clever.
Gotten a few one-handed claps in my day.
When it comes to making your way forward, in cars or life, you never want to surrender completely to reliance upon modern technology. And while I love Elon Musk, he’s the world’s greatest innovator, and one of my heroes, you are always just one faulty microchip (or nefarious new world order scheme) away from disaster.
https://screenrant.com/leave-the-world-behind-tesla-crash-scene-cause-reason/
Side note, if you cannot read a paper map, you’ll be fucked if the energy or GPS grids go down.
So, you can get by with one free hand, to work the cooling/heating systems, the radio, or manage your coffee. The other always steers the car.
Now, in life, accelerating and braking are equally important in getting where you want to go. When everyone is traveling through the universe at high speeds, decisions have to be made and executed instantaneously. Gaps must be threaded, or opportunities (and lives) lost. So the gas pedal better function as planned. Sometimes plans need to be aborted altogether, instantaneously, or the brick wall you’ll hit will be unforgiving. So your brakes better work as well. Check on both regularly.
And since everything in life depends on energy, you better have the best source of energy feeding the engine of your car. Brain or stomach. Gas and/or battery. Always check those energy levels before leaving the parking space. Otherwise you’ll end up at midnight in the middle of nowhere on the side the road, sitting in the next beautiful, large paperweight watching life pass you by, or worse, waiting to become that next urban legend at the end of some mad man’s hook.
And never try to move forward in cars or life while impaired. You may get lucky once or twice but that luck never holds. And you’ll fall into the ATA pool (see below).
Finally, and most importantly, whether it be in a car or otherwise, remember the ATA rule.
Anticipate The Asshole. They are out there everyday breaking all of life’s safety rules. And because life is not fair, their conduct often harms the innocent. So, always keep your eyes peeled for the people with dents caused by blind spot impacts and your ear listening for the approaching car-chorus rhythmic sing-along, or they will keep their no-handed promise and will rock you.
You can only control your car. The rest is up to the Universe.
Well, it’s Monday again. But before you fine, five readers rev your engines, top off the energy tank with the caffeine of your choice so you can slip seamlessly into the already busy flow of citizen traffic like a double dutch master from life’s recurring on-ramp without anyone else’s brake lights tapping on. With any luck, we’ll all happily return home at the end of the day, having safely reached and returned from whatever destination we needed in our lives. As JRRT suggests, let us all get “there and back again” from life’s daily adventures.
https://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/There_and_Back_Again
Me, I’m going cuddle my transitioning, still feral indoor familiar, Smokey, a little bit more while I finish my java,
then get out there, feed Mittens, still totally committed to outdoors, and then complete my rounds.
But whatever we all may have on our respective or collective plates as our work week kicks off, let us all make today a great one.
Drive safely.
4 Responses
I hope life didn’t run you off the road in some way recently. 😕
I left the road behind a long time ago.
Ok good
You’re a wise man, Tom.