I’m on a main street, driving straight. You’re on a side street ahead of me, at the intersection with the main street. You want to turn right to go where I’m going, or maybe you want to cross my lanes and turn left, or maybe you want to go straight through, cross the intersection, and stay on the side street.
There’s traffic and a red light coming up. If I stop now, I can let you through. Or I can keep going and block you.
Maybe I keep going because I don’t realize how little space will be left for you. Maybe I’m just thinking about other things. Maybe I stop far enough in advance to give you space to decide what to do next.
Does the person in the other lane stop? Is there room for you to turn right or left or cross the intersection?
Will you acknowledge any of us before you go? As you go? After you go? What about if I (oops) block you?
Will we smile at each other? Will we raise our hands, display our palms in a “thank you” and “I acknowledge your thank you”? Will we flick each other off? Will we slam our hands on the steering wheel because of the other person’s audacity to ignore our needs, whether or not we were in their line of sight? Will we realize we recognize each other and wave excitedly? Or will we note for the future to beware of drivers with the other person’s… style?
Today, this is what happens:
I stop far enough in advance to give you the space you need to go where you want to go. The person in the next lane stops, too. There’s room for you. You acknowledge us as you pass with a thank you palm, a nod, a small smile.
Will we see each other again?
Unlikely.
But this happy little exchange? It makes me grateful for traffic.
And who can ask for more than that?
This Glass Has Water 