The Sticky Note

The other day, SM got into the Jeep (my vehicle) and saw this...

My handwritten reminder to myself on a sticky note.

"What's this about?" asks SM

"Just what is says." I respond.

"You need reminding to slow down?" He inquires.

"Well...Yes, actually."

Here's the story.  I live out in the country.  Granted...the big city is closing in on us, but for now we can still drive like the older people we are.  (You know what I'm saying.)

Yep, we've become "Sunday Drivers." 

This is a term that refers to old farts driving slower than the speed limit.  These people are usually between where you are and where you need to be.   

When you have someplace to go and you're in a hurry, there is always a "Sunday Driver" in your way. 

"Get out of the way Grandpa!" (I have yelled these words a few times myself.) 

When I was a kid and gas was cheap (like 50 cents a gallon) we'd all pile into the car and just drive around.  Sometimes with a destination in mind, sometimes not.

I often refer to SM as having a gasoline ass.  He can drive for hours, just bopping around, because he's bored.  I can't tell you how many times he's tried to suck me into a road trip.  Trouble is, while he may have a gasoline ass, I on the other hand have a flat ass.  As in there's not too much padding down there to keep me comfortable.  Two hours later and I'm squirming like a worm on a hook.

But I digress...

The whole point of the sticky note reminder was because...since I like to drive slower...I've found myself getting sucked into the vortex of the evening rush hour...and I'm not happy about it.

It's easy enough to drive reasonably on the way into work.  Nobody is in a hurry to get there first thing in the morning.

However...5:00 comes and it's off to the races.  People are impatient, careless and ZOOM between the lights.  And since I hate to take the freeways, there are an awful lot of lights between me and my suburban home.

Sometimes the traffic is heavy enough that the pace is at a crawl. (Yeah)

But there is always one section on my drive home that becomes a raging river.

You suddenly get caught up in it and the next thing you know you're doing 55 in a 35 mph zone.

SM says to change my route.  I do...but each and every one of them has a section of 2-3 miles without a light and no cops and EVERYONE starts hustling.  These are the subdivisions still with-in the city limits. A four lane artery of traffic runs though it but still...there are homes 30 feet from where I'm driving and sidewalks in between us.

And sometimes there are pedestrians on those sidewalks.  It gives me the willies see people walking several feet from where all this heavy traffic is.  Sometimes there are kids on bikes.  Yikes!

So I wrote myself a note.  A reminder.

Slow Down.  Maybe if I slow down, I can help slow everyone else down too.