Most mornings at varying times I find myself driving down Logan and Andrews Avenue. From my house there are 3 lights I have to pass through on my way to church. The first light I almost always get through, the third as well. The second is a three way light so I almost never make that one. If I make all 3 lights and go just slightly over the speed limit, I can make it to church in about 5 minutes. I consider it a good day when I make 2 out of 3.
However…I find it very irritating when other people do not take those lights seriously. As in they go right through the red, especially light number 3. There I am, sitting there like a good citizen and waiting for green, and cars drive around me to go through the light! Especially if it is early in the morning. It irks me. Secretly I want to drive through those lights too. But it is simply unsafe. So I wait and build up road rage at those who do not.
I am not a rule follower. You may be laughing right now if you know me. I am selective about rules. They have to make sense, be justice based and convenient for me to pay much attention. But some rules are about safety. And while I am in as much hurry as the next person, I still observe the stop lights.
On good days I try to imagine that the transgressor is rushing to the side of a dying parent, or something.
The other day I was sitting at one of those lights contemplating my options when I realized that I had to love the person going through the light, and the person I was trying to protect by not going through that light equally. They were both my neighbor, someone I had to love as much as I loved myself. Someone I had to treat like I would want to be treated. Not that the rule breakers should not be held accountable. But that I couldn’t hate them. Or want to be like them.
I think I will be working on this for a long time.