Am I the cause...

...for your road rage?

I watched a short Beth Moore lesson on t.v. today. If you are not familiar with Beth Moore, she is one of the best story tellers and teachers I have ever known. No, I don't know her personally, but I have taken some of her video/workbook classes and she is absolutely amazing in her ability to explain and teach, all with a wonderful sense of humor and enthusiasm like I've never seen before! She is the founder of Living Proof Ministries and she brings the Bible to life, taking a stories and passages we've heard all our lives, and makes them real. I took the class 'A Heart Like His' last fall and I learned the WHOLE story of King David. Never before was a Bible story so REAL to me then when I heard her tell the story and explain it. You read passages from the Bible and then she picks it apart and brings it to life and also ties it in to modern day life and how these stories, lessons and instructions still apply to us today. If you are interested in the least, check her out on t.v., every Wednesday on the WHSG station. The show is called LIFE Today with James and Betty Robison (For me in Loganville, that is channel 11, at 2:00pm) Beth does a brief 10 or 15 minute lesson. She always makes God's word relevant to here and now. In today's episode she said she was the cause of alot of people's road rage. (A resounding AMEN! from her husband off stage...)

Now, I can hardly imagine Beth Moore being the cause of anyone's road rage. Me, on the other hand, I am quite sure I am the cause of a lot of folks' road rage! Like Beth, I have had a lot of sign language flashed at me. If I could read lips, I am sure I would know more about exactly what I did that ticked these folks off. Good for me, lip reading is not my forte.

What exactly does tick people off to the point of flipping someone off with the middle finger or screaming words that would embarrass a marine? As a fellow road-rager, I can tell you the top 5 things that make me burn to a crisp and cause me to momentarily lose my religion:

1. Someone cutting me off. You know, that person who decides at the last minute to whip into my lane with no warning whatsoever. Or he pulls out in front of me, even though I am doing 55 and there is only 3 car lenghths between us.

2. The person in front of me that makes a turn without signaling first.

3. The person riding my tail (excuse me! I only spoon with the Hubster!)

4. The person who nearly side swipes me.

5. And the person who passes me on a hill or in a curve, endangering not only me, but himself and any unseen oncoming persons.

There are things we can do to reduce road rage, in our selves and in others towards us. (This I learned from my advanced Health class last semester). Here are a few things we can do to deter road rage, according to my text book (in plain speak):

1. Leave early enough as to allow for delays. This prevents you from being in a big hurry and prevents tail gating (for the most part) and eliminates your need to try pushing the car in front of you down the road.

2. Do not drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs. This prevents you from unclear thinking and also keeps your inhibitions intact so as you don't feel quite as free to make threats to the guy in the hummer who likes to play chicken on narrow country roads. Oh, and it also keeps you from getting DUI's and wrapping your vehicle around telephone poles and trees.

3. Refrain from using sign language and over-enunciating. Some folks just don't take kindly to the one finger salute or a shaking fist. The koo-koo sign (index finger making a circular motion around your ear) is not usually very well received either. Also, if you enunciate really well, that other person might really be able to read your lips. Even if you are enunciating a harmless phrase, like fudge chews, it could get you a good black eye or a jacked jaw.

4. Practice relaxation techniques when driving. Some suggestions are to listen to soothing music. Pray or meditate. At red lights do arm and neck stretches. Go on vacation, mentally, for a few minutes...imagine a beautiful beach with lapping waves and swaying palm trees, or a hike in the mountains. But don't stay on vacation too long, you need to focus on your driving.

5. More than anything else, use the Golden Rule. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. In other words, do not do the things that annoy you, to others. If you don't like tailgaters, don't tailgate. If you don't like it when people turn without signals, always use your turn signal. So on and so on. Also, if you do make an error that you feel may set someone off, make the 'I could have had a V-8' sign on your head - it is a sign that you 'messed up' and try to do an 'I'm sorry' face. (Of course your 'sorry' face could be misconstrued as your being a smarty pants and get you in deeper trouble. For these times I keep a personal size 'mace' in reaching distance).

On a final note; I heard a news report recently that stated that studies show that people who display bumper and window stickers on their vehicles are more likely to be involved in road rage incidences. According to the study, people who have these stickers feel like their vehicle and the air around it is their personal space. And if you get too close to their vehicle, it is like putting your face in their face, and they go off! The news report jokingly suggested drivers stay far away from other drivers with bumper and window stickers as not to antagonize them. I am going to take that advise seriously! Also, the only 'advertisements' I have on my car right now are 'Support our Marine's' magnet and a Christian Fish emblem. I want people to see the fish and think - there goes a Christian. Not 'look at that women who just gave me the finger! And she has a Christian Fish on her car! Some Christian!' I also try to remind myself, before I mouth off or honk my horn, the person in the other car might be a friend from school, church, or my pharmacist. (Don't want him making any 'on-purpose' mistakes!)

It's something to think about.

P.S. Check out Beth Moore. She is a lovely woman! (http://www.lproof.org/)