So was driving down I-5 on Tuesday wondering why the mayhem of dangerously aggressive drivers in such a hurry - cutting people off, driving like Californians (or worse yet - New Jersey drivers) - oblivious to the grandeur of this normally gentle interstate winding through the mountains and valleys of this beautiful land, and suddenly realized that it was because it was a holiday week - an inordinate amount of license plates from BC (notoriously aggressive drivers, yet a cash cow for the local law enforcement coffers, as our northern stretch of I-5 is very heavily patrolled and the Canadians are very easy pickings; I remember getting pulled over - on the Oyster Run in Bow, Washington for exceeding the speed limit, and twice, by two different cops, I was asked if I was Canadian. I was let go with a warning), and those with Lynnwood, Bellevue, etc. plate holders on their expensive cars with tinted windows and empty, harried faces inside.We often times discuss why the urban set in always in such a rush, and concluded that that is the way of th lifestyle in those parts: spend more, eat more, consume more, want more, make more; get richer, fatter, sicker, needier, further in debt - and I really do not know why. Thank goodness that I've broken from that mold. Over my lifelong experiment (on myself), I've shown that there is an inverse relationship to wealth and happiness. Launching my business over that past year, my earning were equal to what I made back in the pre-Clinton years. But I am more satisfied and fulfilled than I've ever been. But that could be maturity too.
Oh well, another Christmas, and wishes to everyone a Merry Christmas also. If you're not a Christian (I guess am, albeit very loosely), I wish it to you anyway. I've celebrated holidays like St. Patricks Day with fervor, event though I have not a drop of Irish blood in me. I still wish people a happy St. Patty's Day, and take no offence when they wish me good tidings too. How silly and watered down our society has become. No wonder we incresingly lack such depth and meaning in our communications - any more it's one size fits all, and that's too bad.
Don't mean to be a downer on a very upbeat day, but I've been thinking about these things over the past few days.
4 comments:
Merry Mary Christmas to you too (Two) or three including Ugly dog...
it took me years but I finally weaned myself from the collective self-abuse ritual known as the holiday shopping season. I grabbed some inexpensive gifts early on and then didn't even bother visiting town during the whole christmas holiday in order to avoid the traffic and stressed out people. I'm suprised (and somewhat disappointed) to hear that people from BC are as wonky as you suggest.
Hamsterfan...
Not all of the BC drivers are that bad...like every country, there are good and bad (there are more good drivers/people in Seattle, California and BC than the writer suggests!).... it comes down to the same situation as "is your glass half full or half empty?"
I agree that I was being a bit unfair to the Canadian drivers, as I adore their country and the people overall. Unfortunately, the few incidents can certainly jade my overall opinion (like the Accord with BC plates doing at least 140kmh missing me by inches, as well as the other vehicle that s/he was trying to get around, and a few more near misses that day...yeah, when someone nearly runs me off the road on an otherwise wondrous journey down usually placid I-5 in a flagrant disregard for safety and they happen to have foreign plates on their car, unfortunately that will taint my opinion of the entire country and lead to possibly unfair generalizations; when I am visiting a foreign country, I usually am acting on my best behavior, not a jackass). I am still searching for this answer, and every Canadian I know or meet - and there are many - I ask them why they are such aggressive drives, and the answer seems to lie in the fact that they are amped up metropolitan people, no different than NJ, SF or DC drivers.
The drive up and down I-5 north or Marysville is the most beautiful interstate driving I've ever done in my life. Why everyone needs to habitually rush through life is unbeknownst to me.
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