Driving Annie Crazy

Something nice about visiting Kamloops is that I get the use of dad's car. Normally I live a car-less existence in Hamilton, walking everywhere or waiting for Luke to get to my house so he can drive me (heh heh). Dad has been working days lately so I get the car for hours and hours while he works. It is absolutely life-changing. I can come and go as I please, I have more options of stuff to do, I can sing my heart out at the top of my lungs while barreling down the road (something I can never do, ever, unless I want people on the bus or the sidewalk to yell at me and have me arrested).

It really is just about 100% wonderful. However, all good things about car access aside, there is a darkness to the situation that tends to have major influence. More specifically, normal Annie disappears and a different person emerges: Annie the Angry Driver.

I drove a lot today. I drove out to Kamloops lake just because I had nothing to do. Then I drove through town and up to Aberdeen Mall because I still had nothing to do. I drove to Tara's house spontaneously and she wasn't home, which left me with more of nothing to do. I drove back to dad's house. As I was doing all these things I started noticing changes in my behaviour:

Anger. I started humming under my breath to calm myself down, trying to ignore the tailgating jackass behind me the entire way down Tranquille.

Impatience. I found myself actually singing the "Have Patience" song about Herbert the Snail from Music Machine, as a senseless nitwit drove 20km under the limit somewhere on the North Shore. Anyone remember the lyrics? Ariane, I know you do...

(Have patience/have patience/don't be in such a hurry/when you get impatient/you only start to worry/remember, remember/that God is patient too/so think of all the times when others have to wait for you)

Profanity. When the idiot in the giant "I may or may not live on a farm, but frankly it doesn't matter because I have way too much money not to spend it on something showy and unnecessary" truck cut me off going down Summit Drive I let out a string of words I wouldn't normally say.

By the time I got home I found myself dwelling on a lot of flaws in human behavior. It was a less than relaxing feeling. It made me realize that when I am simply the passenger, none of these thoughts cross my mind unless something REALLY awful happens, and even then it is mostly sympathy for the person in the driver's seat that makes me take notice.

As much freedom as I get having the use of a vehicle, I am wondering if my mental health actually benefits from not having to deal with the various 'tards on the road. Will this prevent me from ever buying a car again? ......... I don't think so. When it comes down to it I'm pretty sure I would love the freedom of having a car. I guess the world will have to deal with a full-time Annie the Angry Driver, eventually. I will make sure to provide ample warning, maybe on CNN, or possibly to get a threatening bumper sticker so people will be sure to stay the heck away from me on the road.