It’s Sunday afternoon and I’m leaving Palm Springs for Los Angeles. The sun is low on the horizon and already forming a glare off the road. I’m reminiscing over the past few days and there’s a smile on my face. We accomplished a lot of work this weekend and crossed a lot of projects off our list. We were invited to a double birthday party and met a new group of people. The couple who hosted the wine and cheese get together before our dinner, had a beautiful home in Old Las Palmas. Very large and impressive. Our whole three bedroom condo could fit into their master bedroom. The travertine floors were so highly polished they hurt your eyes when you looked at them. Post modern and beautiful. Afterwards, we were all hosted at a restaurant we’ve never been to before. Exceptional ambience, service and food. It was a great fortieth birthday party.
I reach the freeway and I’m biding my time in the slow lane with the speed limit. There’s an SUV slightly ahead of me in the fast lane, but not moving faster than the speed limit. A car approaches behind the SUV aggressively and is trying to edge the SUV to move faster. The SUV isn’t moving for anyone. A small gap of a quarter car length is between myself and the SUV. All of a sudden the car juts in front of me with no warning. I swerve and slam on the brakes to avoid hitting him and my natural reaction gives him the horn. The car is now in front of me. He breaks quickly and I have to swerve again to avoid hitting him a second time. I back off, but he keeps up the game of applying his brakes and slowing down. I mouth the word ‘asshole’. He must have seen it in his rear view mirror. He pulls back into the fast lane and slows until he is along side of me. I glance over and he is cursing at me. He is…. anger, and full of rage. I back off more and his impatience speeds him forward to catch up with the SUV. He swerves at the SUV before speeding off.
So I’m thinking, unknowingly, we must have been the straw that broke the camels back. In consideration, maybe he went through a break-up, or his house was foreclosed on, or he lost his job, or maybe,….. he is……. just an asshole. It’s always an adventure to drive now a days. The rest of my drive home had its variety of speed demons and two accidents. Both accidents had cars turned in the opposite direction of the traffic. Lots of impatience out there. I’m wondering if they rush inside their house when they get there. Rush through their movement on the toilet, rush their food while eating and rush the TV shows their watching. Only to rush to bed to rush through sleep, so they can rush again the next day. Where are they going, anyways?
The sky is Halloween orange, but slowly transforms into Zinfandel as I approach L.A. Only ten more minutes and I’ll be home. What a great feeling that will be.
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