September 7, 2023, Toledo, OH- There he stood, in the middle of a thankfully empty downtown street, trying to remember where he had parked his car. Having been in that predicament, myself, quite a few times (though taking care to not stand in the street), I asked if I might be of help. He mentioned the name of a landmark, near where his car was-and I was able to reorient him on his way.
A short time later, having had a bracing lunch of teriyaki chicken and rice,at Koya, in Wilmette’s village center, I spent about an hour in prayer, in the Baha’i House of Worship and at its Visitor Center. Of particular personal concern was being able to know in which direction my acts of service might fall, each day going forward.
Mostly, this has been sparked by a few instances of self-doubt, or momentary confusion. After reflection, though, it is more a matter of trying to do too much, too quickly-which is something that has ever been a challenge in my repertoire of behaviours. So, with a prayer to direct the urge for service in the optimal direction, I set out from the Holy Temple.
The Chicago Dance, as I call the flow of traffic along the Windy City’s freeways, lasted about an hour-from Dempster Street, Evanston to the Chicago Skyway. At one point, the first person I’ve ever seen freeze, whilst trying to change lanes, caused the driver behind me to open his window and bellow “Get moving, NOW!”, while the lady in the next lane looked about ready to spew equal venom. All I could do was inch forward and wait until the frightened one had moved his car completely out of my way. The car had Illinois plates, but who knows? Hapless Harry finally managed to screw up enough courage to go forth, in about a minute-which is an eternity to Chicago’s seasoned drivers.
In my own space, it often takes a few tries to get things right, so I did not fault either the frozen driver or the person experiencing parking space amnesia. In fact, once I got off the Tollways, the desire to get as far east as possible overcame prudence-and I had to call around and apologetically cancel a scheduled online meeting. I did find Best Motel, an aptly-named accommodation, here in Toledo. It will be another link in my continental chain
A Sagittarian Seeker 
So much road rage is floating around! Glad you weren’t the target!!
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This trip has been quiet for me, in that respect. Then again, I just got into Massachusetts last night, so we’ll see.
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I’ve almost had wrecks twice in my life. The first one was because I was texting. I somehow managed to stop before hitting the car in front of me. The second time, the big hero that I am, the most noble of nobles, a van with a ton of kids in it cut me off, and I had to jump over the curb to avoid them. They went on, and I know they didn’t have the kids in any seatbelts. I can’t remember how I left the grass. Seriously, I doubt anyone could see them. Today’s headline is, “Don’t be an idiot parent.” Screw up my alignment. grrrr
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I have a checkered history, with to wrecks, but only once was it primarily my fault, and no one else was hurt. I have never texted or been on the phone while driving.
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Well, I used to live in Norfolk, Virginia. The road was backed during certain hours of the day, and you could spend two or three hours in the same spot before you could escape to a new direction or move. We’d go a bit and then stop. We moved up like 20 feet, and I hit the accelerator and came so close to him. The only time I’ve had other drivers surround me was when I had to drive home through a tunnel, and I was riding on my car’s rim. They kept honking and yelling, trying to get my attention. I didn’t know if I was going to make it home, but I didn’t want to block the tunnel for hours, as that happened quite a bit. It’s like, I am thinking about you guys, so please shut up. Even the stars in heaven know that I have a flat tire. How could you not notice?
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There was, no doubt, in the chorus of honkers, a cross-section of clueless idiots and those who didn’t think you knew there was a flat tire.
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They wouldn’t have been so helpful if they got stuck in that tunnel. It would also leak all of the time, use your imagination there. There also could have been a pile-up due to impatience. It was like, yes, I know. I can’t even keep up with you guys. It’s as bad as when a pedestrian tells you to go ahead, and you end up crashing at an intersection. I am a nice person myself, but I’ve learned my lesson.
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Trust, but verify!
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