The Things That Keep Us

I, in the grand scheme of things, am neither a temptation nor a force. I exist to satisfy my own curiosity and live to fulfill my own happiness. To you, I'm traffic or an exit lane.

Imagine that you're on the freeway and the traffic is horrid. You're traveling north during the 4 o'clock rush on a scorching summer evening, the burning sun greets you on the west, through your driver side window, always in your face like a confrontational delinquent. Sure you got sunglasses on, but it doesn't fix the uncomfortable heat emitting from your leather bound steering wheel, forcing your firm grip to loosen; and with that, a lack of control. The tiny hairs on your arm wilt like flowers, your skin red from the exposure. The air conditioner blasts louder than your stereo speakers, your only escape, and yet the artificial facts leave you unsatisfied.



That, coupled with the reality that you are now at a complete stand still adds to your frustration. You're not late for anything but you'd rather be there. You yearn to be still but not like this. You make some shoulder checks. The one lane to your left is bumper to bumper packed as is the lane to your right. The semi-truck in front of you blocks your attempts to plan and the red mustang behind you tests your patience. In further examination of your surroundings you see a sign. Exit: 100 meters. You know this exit. It detours to an unfamiliar part of town that eventually would circle you to your destination. Exiting would be like taking a few steps back but at least the traffic flows. You feel the dampness on your shirt compressed between your back and the seat rest. You need fresh air but hesitate to pull the windows down for fear that the cool conditioned substitute will leave you. The signal controls to your vehicle, located behind your tortured steering wheel, calls you; the gas pedal begs that you give the brakes a break. Just a couple of pushes and a hand full of angry comments from other on-edge drivers and you're on your way. If they talk let them talk.

So the question is do you ride out this unbearable safe route or do you exit and feel real wind through your hair? You see, we’re so conditioned to place blame that we lose control of our own lives. I can’t jog today because it might rain; I failed my exam because it was too noisy in my apartment building to study; I didn’t get the job because I don’t own a computer to update my resume. But are our lives really about the things that keep us? Or is it as simple as obstacles and alternatives. You either work through the obstacle or take another path.

I'm either traffic or an exit lane.