This I Believe

Good Intentions Behind the Wheel

Springtime has barely sprung and already the renewal of life is everywhere, from mating birds that forget they know how to fly and cause a traffic jam, to joggers lining the side roads, to the hordes of children playing in the street in their neighborhoods.

With all this bustling activity, now is the time to breathe in deeply the dew-like air, slow down and be ever-more aware of our surroundings, and, looking at the larger picture, renew our commitment to good intentions while we’re behind the wheel.

I was reminded of this recently on a mellow Sunday afternoon as I was driving past my community park. My eyes caught a half-dozen or more ducks waddling across the street. Amused, I pointed them out to my 19-month-old daughter as I and a number of other vehicles had stopped to let the animals cross.

Then, I noticed a pickup truck on the other side of the road had continued toward the ducks. Since he was driving slowly, maybe 15 miles per hour at most, I was sure the driver must have seen the birds that were still nearly 50 yards away. Yet, he drove right through the marching animals, splattering one and leaving its mate utterly confused.

After I overcame my initial disbelief, I thought of the time that I narrowly escaped the same fate as I jogged on a sidewalk in a quiet area of my neighborhood. As I approached a small intersection with a stop sign, I saw a car pull up. The driver stopped and looked me square in the eye. But, when I began to cross, his mouth bent into a menacing smile as he stepped on the gas pedal, missing me by what seemed only inches.

Perhaps in our fast-lane society, while we’re controlling the metal hunks of machinery we have come to depend on to shape our lives, we have resorted to the notion that we are, in ourselves, mini forces of nature to be reckoned with. Instead of being rooted in the interdependence of each other and our surroundings, we have become nearly as detached as the weather. The ducks, joggers, school children crossing walkways, and other pedestrians simply have to learn to survive in the presence of our mechanical wind forces.

But, the state of the human mind is not the same as the state of the weather. To believe that means to shirk off responsibility as decent human beings.

The fact is, we are complicated beings full of intention, propelled by our thoughts every minute, all the time. Within that capacity comes our ability to understand patience, forgiveness, charity, right and wrong.

So, the next time a bird crosses your path, or our eyes meet at an intersection, consider for a moment what your intentions will be. In the end, it benefits everyone when all of us show some consideration, breathe in life a little even while we’re manning our vehicles, give each other a little space, and to share the roadway, even with the occasional duck.