For those of you who may not be aware, I have a pretty good morning commute that I drive each morning, and each afternoon. That is not a complaint by any means, it's just the way it is for the time being. I have learned of the futility of complaining about things that fall into the "just the way it is" category. I have managed to learn quite a few things over the years, many of them during my many hours spent behind the wheel of whatever vehicle I happen to be driving at the time.
One thing I have learned is that you can see some humorous things if you simply pay attention to what's going on around you. Just this morning, I noticed a fellow who was stopped at a stop sign. Now, everyone knows that when you are stopped at a stop sign you should look both ways. This fellow not only looked both ways, he must have looked both ways five or six times, each time in very rapid succession. I almost wanted to tell him, "Calm down, my friend. You're going to give yourself a whiplash." Another good lesson is that, even though it may be tempting, it's usually best not to actually give those pearls of wisdom to someone right out loud. Far better to allow them to discover those lessons on their own.
Another little bit of information I have learned is that when waiting on a train with many other drivers, there is really only one driver actually waiting on the train. All the other drivers are waiting on the driver in front of them. Here again, it's usually better to refrain from giving instructions to the driver in front of you; at least not out loud.
Here's another lesson I have learned. Driving at a speed that far exceeds the posted speed limit rarely saves any significant amount of time, especially on a trip of only an hour or so. Many times I have been driving down the highway at or near the posted speed limit and noticed a car speeding past me. Often, I noticed that same car sitting at a traffic light as I calmly pull up behind them. The few seconds they may have saved were spent sitting at a traffic light. I often find myself wondering if that person actually planned to do something constructive with those 30 seconds they may have saved. If the truth be told, I think it's much more likely that the only thing they would accomplish during those few seconds would be to foul something up.
One lesson I hope none of you ever have to learn the hard way is to NEVER drink and drive. That is something for which there is no excuse at all. Recently, a National Guard soldier was killed in a traffic accident which was caused by a drunk driver. A close family member of mine was injured in that same traffic accident. Thankfully, my family member is out of the hospital, with a severely broken arm (from what I understand, after his truck flipped several times, it landed on his arm) and a few other injuries, from which he should recover. If you insist on drinking alcohol, please, find someone else to drive or stay where you are long enough to "sober up." If not, you may deserve what you get, but others don't deserve to be hurt by your stupidity.
I pray you have a wonderful holiday season, here on the sunny side.