Who likes their smooth journey on the road interrupted? The signals and the potholes. The bikes and the autos. The nasty cabs and the cars. The trucks and the buses.
I have become a more aggressive rider*. Dodging big vehicles, tackling funnily moving cars and bikes, finding that narrow crook through which I can pass, overtaking vehicles on the wrong side, swimming… erm... riding against the tide…
It is all like one big game on the road. Just that this is not a virtual game and you have only one life. It is an obstacle race of sorts…
The other vehicles on the road are obstacles blocking my path. They interrupt my smooth and quick ride.
However, there have been moments of revelation and flashes of insight that these other vehicles are manned by people. By persons not unlike myself. The graciousness of the car guy that lets me pass, the girl I allowed to cross, the auto-rickshaw guy who gave me directions… These are people. Not obstacles.
We have choices when we journey through life. We can dodge, use, misuse and abuse people, tackle tough guys, overtake slow-runners and swim against the tide. We will get where we want to go. Or we can treat these interruptions as opportunities to be human and to allow others to be human**. We may not reach our destination quicker but we will surely get there happier.
* I am working on toning down a bit… Honest…
** The others may not always make use of the opportunity. But don't let that bother you.
7 comments:
Oh yes yes YES. Be human, and see the person behind the machine!
try riding behind my bike. you will die of suffocation... on a serious note!- donated my blood last night for my boss;he met with an accident," a pure case of rash driving"...Good decision indeed bungz!
Dont try to be you'll be eaten!! :P
Ryan - I try. I really do. It gets difficult sometimes. :)
CW - Seriously dude, you got to get your bike's emission checked. Yeah. I am cutting down on my rash riding.
Scribbler - He he. Don't you worry. I won't let them eat me!! Too tough for that...
mosquitoes are extinct in my locality; thanx to my bike
wow.... now i've never thought of that before
silence pls
*moment of insight*
Beautifully said. Your description of the roads put me there with you. Sometimes these choices are challengng!
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