PARABLE OF THE IDIOT AND THE MANIAC
Having driven cars that range in power from a 1966 Corvette with 425 horsepower to a 1960 Austin Healey Sprite which struggled to climb even moderately steep inclines shaped a driving perspective that I would like to share. While driving, I came to perceive anyone who drove slower than me or impeded my progress in any way, as an idiot. I also perceived anyone who drove faster than me or recklessly endangered my well being, if not my life, as a maniac. I naturally believed that the speed at which I drove, regardless of the conditions or circumstances, was the perfect speed and should be emulated by all other drivers. It was easy to reason that if we all drove at my speed there would be much less frustration on the roads. It took a long time before I came to realize that for each of my idiots, I was their maniac. And for each of my maniacs, I was their idiot. This was a humbling realization. Over the years, as I began to explore its implications, I had to admit that I didn’t drive the same speed every time I drove. A multitude of variables affect how fast I drive. If I’m in a hurry I tend to drive faster and be far less tolerant of my idiots. If not in a hurry, with no particular place to be but just enjoying a pleasant drive, it’s so easy for me to be annoyed by my maniacs. Driving in bad weather affects everyone differently. Driving experience can affect the skill and speed of a driver. Emergencies cause drivers to exceed their normal driving speed. Everybody does the best they can, given their particular set of circumstances. In life, as in driving, we all travel at different speeds with different reasons for why we move at the pace we do. It is either incredibly naive or astoundingly arrogant of me to think my speed in life would be best for everyone else. Learning to realize and accept that each driver on the road of life can determine for themselves the speed at which they travel has been a challenge for me. To do it without judgment, without impatience or exasperation, but with love and understanding is the quest of a lifetime. I am quite sure this will be one long drive.