Kara & Michael’s Blog

I try to live a reasonably calm life. I try not to stress about too many things. The one consistent thing that stresses me out is driving.

Now, I love driving when conditions are optimal. If I have space to maneuver and enjoy my music or even enjoy silence and the thrumming of an engine. That can be relaxing. It stops being relaxing when other people, other drivers enter the equation.

Michael and I are both 23. We have each driven for 6  or 7 years of our lives without one ticket, one accident, one anything. Apparently this is a relatively remarkable statistic, judging by the reaction from insurance people (not that it lowered our damn premiums or anything). I point this out only to prove that I am a good driver, based on concrete evidence.

But let’s step outside concrete evidence. I sit down in the car every morning with a few basic guidelines for my driving.

1. I am responsible for controlling a device that can harm or kill myself, my passengers, and the other folks on the road. This is not a responsibility I take lightly. That means I don’t eat, talk on my phone, rummage through my purse, read the paper, brush my hair or do my makeup in the car. I drive. Believe me, if you can drive the same way while doing those things then you are a bad driver to begin with. Off the road with ye!
2. The other cars around me house human beings. Human beings who I may know, work with, meet randomly at the store. I let people cut in, I don’t drive aggressively because you never know when you might run into those people in your lives. Slim chance, but believe me, it can and does happen. I remember the faces and license plate numbers and the model of the car (obsessive) of people who piss me off when I’m driving. If you drive like a douche bag, I lose respect for you in real life.

That being said, people piss me off, and it’s not something I dismiss easily. I take a honking horn, a rude gesture as a personal criticism. I get shaky and mad and then I get angry at myself for taking something so personally when the person has moved on to tailgating and flipping off someone else in their way.

What can I say, though? I take driving too darn seriously sometimes. I’m going to share my mantra though,  I use it when I’m stressing in the car. “I am replete with slack.” Seriously. When I’m merging I say this to myself. When I’m in a hurry, I say this to myself. When I’m waiting to pass someone, I say this to myself. It helps me let off the gas a little and remember that staying calm and aware is what makes someone a fantastic driver.

Meditate on it, my friends. Just don’t try to meditate in the car. You aren’t a very good driver in a lotus position.