Temperment

So I don't have much of a temper. Usually if I get upset there's very little real anger. Crying is usually a must.

But I've discovered my temper.

It comes out when I'm driving. Because I hate when people do stupid things! It drives me nuts to see people take risks with their own lives and the lives of the innocent people driving around them.

Oh, and I cannot stand it when people get mad at other drivers because they're not speeding or something. No one's life is at risk if someone's going 65 in a 65 (heaven forbid someone go the speed limit!). It's even worse when they get mad about 70 in a 65. What's your deal? Are you really in so much of a hurry that you can't back off someone's tail in the carpool lane?

Last night I lost my temper. There was an old man turning right. He was taking it very slow around that curve. I admit, if I'd been behind him I probably would have been annoyed at how slow he was going. But I never would have honked at him. But the guy behind him did. I got so incensed at what I'd seen that I lay on my horn and glared at the guy as he drove by. He thought he was so funny and grinned and waved. He knew why I'd honked at him.

I was not amused.

Now, granted, I lost my temper and that's not how I should have reacted. His actions should have simply inspired me to never be like that.

My biggest problem is that it was such a reminder of how our society is degenerating. I think about how my grandfather treats people. His generation still understood what it is to respect others.

In Generation Me, or whatever you want to call this new group of young adults, there's little patience or respect for anyone. The world is doing a good job of getting us to focus inward and only worry about ourselves. What was that young man thinking as he honked at that elderly man? "Man, this guy's so slow. He might make me 30 seconds later getting home." Oh, what a travesty!

I continued to be upset after, mainly because Eric called me out on getting too worked up and reminding me that I didn't need to get involved like that. I realized I'd become guilty of a similar lack of compassion as the other guy. I shouldn't have let myself get so frustrated and let my temper get the best of me. It was ok to observe that the guy shouldn't have done what he did, but getting upset about it didn't help anything.

All-in-all, I think the experience will be a good one for me to remember as I get frustrated with other people, no matter the setting. What are their motivations? Are the effects of their actions worth letting contention enter my life and risking losing the spirit? If I really want to escape the societal trends, I need to be above that.