Morning Lessons

8:50 AM 2/5/2010

As I drove to work this morning, for some reason (I do not know what), it 'came' to me that - 'Let's try to be patient today.'

Generally, when I drive I keep to myself as a driver and do not overtake for the sake of overtaking or ambush other cars to prove a point. This means that sometimes I do behave in this manner. Those times I justify the situation with phrases as 'sheesh! Unpredictable driver! i must get ahead of him!', 'Dear! this one just does not want to drive.', 'Just what do they think they're doing! I'll show 'em!'...

Well, as I was saying, it 'came' to me - 'Let's try to be patient today.' Now this thought has 'come' to me several times before, but I've always managed to overtake it. Today, for some reason (I do not know what) the thought managed to stick its heels in and refused to budge.

The moment I gave in was a crucial one. In that very moment, a man who was already many degrees higher than I am with patience, moved in front of me. I did not know this till the traffic moved and he moved in, and something 'told' me that this man was patient. We stood in a long queue at a crossing, which like its usual routine, was over-stuffed - cars, buses, mini-buses, tempos, trucks, bikes, motorbikes, scooters, rickshaws, auto rickshaws, pedestrians, potholes, and vendors on the side. To find a safe nook in this pot-pourri is a skill and to find yourself in an actual lane is miracle.

The traffic moved a bit, and I began to try and nudge myself from being behind him and into another lane that was shorter but was partially cut-off by another car ahead of me to my left. When I had moved a bit, I was in-between two lanes and unable to move till one or both cars moved. So I sat out another little while till the car on the left moved. I was glad it did and I maneuvered myself out from behind the patient man and his car, and went off seriously glad that I came off ahead.

When I reached the crossing, and I was very glad to be finally there, I found that the patient man had somehow moved up in front of me and he was still driving patiently through the crossing, and I was, inadvertently, following him out. My first reaction was simple - 'Oh!'. My second thought was more fluid. I smiled and thought that I was back to where I'd run off, and the man's still ahead of me.

I followed him through the next bit of road that was a narrow one lined with houses on both sides. Pedestrians are frequent and spontaneous. Overtaking is a challenge. I kept myself to following him. He trudged along quietly. The bus that was ahead of him was nearly two buses worth ahead, but that did not pressurize him to move any faster to catch up. He liked his pace. I had a feeling that he was not being slow or afraid; he was just enjoying his drive. I followed.

A little while later another car overtook me and came between me and my patient teacher. Surprisingly, I did not try to honk repeatedly and consistently (like I usually would). I let him come in-between. However, this new man was having a difficult time. He tried to overtake the turtle, but every time he thought he had a chance, something would show up to cut off the attempt. After many embarrassing failed attempts at overtaking, he was finally able to do so at a junction where the road opened up a bit. The new guy shot off like a rocket there on and was not to be seen or heard from again.

However, during all this time, the patient little car that liked its pace, kept it beautifully. No doubt that the man who was in a hurry had attempted an overtake several times - inevitably, as it always does, this included trying to cut-off from the left or right, honking repeatedly, and application of emergency brakes each time he failed. All of this did not budge the man in the small car. He drove as though no one followed him. Nothing pressurized him into doing what he did not want to do. What's more, he did not show any anger or frustration at the driver who finally cut him off on the wrong side and shot away into oblivion. I know I wouldn't have been able to behave like that.

At the next round-about, I followed him quietly. The road now was a very nice wide one and I was able to move into another lane and move on. Before I did, I turned around to look at the man who was unaware that he'd been my teacher for a small bit back there. It was a nice old couple, enjoying their drive - probably they were dropping off a child or doing some early morning shopping. They were at peace and could not be moved. I whispered a 'God bless you' for them and moved on.

As I moved on, I wondered what would have happened if I had been like the rushing rabbit today. I might've won the race that I would have inflicted upon myself, but then I would have missed the magnificent experience that I enjoyed instead. In a way, I saw myself in the rabbit (that is how I sometimes behave).

God's lessons are not in destinations, but in journeys. It's the journey that is fun. Reaching the destination is inevitable if I journey. However, if I'm in too much hurry to reach, I'd miss out the wonderful, fun-filled journey that He has planned for me. He brought me joy this morning, not by reaching me to the office 'first!' but by giving me an enjoyable experience and a memorable lesson!