Overtake

I was in a freeway driving home when a cab cut me without any signal. I was furious at the cab driver and I wanted to get even. I changed lane, drove faster and tried to overtake the cab. When my window is paralleled to the driver, I gave him the look, cut him and slowed down. He horned at me, opened his window and yell. I was feeling a different sort of happiness when I noticed the driver changed lane. I knew he wants to overtake and so I drove faster…. then I lost him.

Knowing that I’ve lost the cab driver I went back to my normal driving speed. My wife, oblivious to what happened, is asleep next to me taking advantage of the few minute-rest she gets. As I looked at my wife I thought - she’s peaceful and beautiful, I told myself – God I love my wife so much. But why did I react to the cab driver like the way I reacted to him few minutes ago? Why didn’t I just let him go, instead I got even? What if something wrong happened that costed me my wife or my life, what will I do?

More often in our lives we react based on impulse. We often forgot the repercussions of our actions, we failed to see the ‘after’ part of our impulsive decision, we are more focused on the ‘now’. My ‘now’ with the cab driver was to ‘get even’, if only I thought about the danger of getting even in the freeway my ‘now’ would have been – letting the cab driver go.

Good thing nothing wrong happened, no one got hurt.

I was almost at the exit when I saw the cab driver behind me, he changed lane, overtook me. I know he didn’t notice me because he didn’t say anything nor blink his headlights, he just went pass me. I wanted to say sorry for my reaction but I’m close to my exit, and so I let him go.

I wanted to tell him what he did was not safe and could lead to accidents. I wanted to tell him to stop cutting drivers as it doesn’t just put himself in danger; he also endangers his passengers and other drivers. But he’s gone and I’m exiting.

How do I stop myself from reacting based on impulse? How can I get myself into a routine to think about the repercussions of my actions? How do I make my moral compass points correctly, always?

I’m relieved that nothing happened and we got home safely, though I’m not happy with my initial reaction to the driver. I knew I didn’t do the right thing, otherwise I wouldn’t be feeling this way.