As a student and practitioner of Stoicism, I am reminded that each day is not a guarantee and that our time of earth is finite….Memento Mori.
Anyone who knows me well has heard me express how much I dislike driving. The act of driving itself isn’t unpleasant. It’s the people I share the road with that concerns me. It’s disturbing to think that we are putting our lives in the hands of people we’ve never met and hope that they behave responsibly. What they decide to do is completely out of our control. If I had the road all to myself, driving would be such a joy.
While driving to make a necessary delivery, I was waiting on a green left arrow to indicate that it was safe to make a left turn toward the freeway entrance. Whenever possible, I seek out intersections with lights, as I believe there is a little more security compared to crossing in areas that do not have them. I also like to typically give myself lots of distance from the vehicle in front of me. It’s a practice I adopted long ago, as I realized how many accidents could be avoided if we just give ourselves more space. This habit likely saved my life. When the light turned green and the car in front of me turned, there was a decent gap between us. Fortunately so, as a car speeding and heading the opposite direction ran the light. Had I not given myself that space, I would not have had time to react and avoid it.
This isn’t the first time this has happened. I have had 3 previous potential life altering moments on the road. They are experiences that one never forgets. Our lives flash before our eyes and gratitude for the gift of another day sets in.
Perhaps that’s the point. It’s moments like these that remind us of how fleeting our lives are. It confirms that we are meant to be here a little longer and that there must be some sort of purpose we must still accomplish.
It would be nice to live in a time when no one can get hurt or lose their life in an instant because of some one else’s negligence. I sincerely wish that for you. Perhaps providing awareness and support will have to suffice for now.
Have you gone through a similar experience? What are your thoughts about driving in today’s hectic environment?