The Jerk in the Silver Volvo

Every morning and every evening for the past month, I've been asking myself the same question as I drive to and from work ... why in the world would city officials think it's even remotely reasonable or rational to close half the lanes of one of the most heavily traveled interstates during rush hour for several months? I mean seriously ... Kansas City is considered to be a pretty major city, and there are a whole bunch of major cities that somehow manage to rig up lights and do most of their road construction at night to minimize the impact on morning and evening commuters. Since the lane closures began a couple of weeks ago, my drive time into work has almost doubled ... I can only imagine how long it will be if we get stormy weather this week like the weather guys are predicting. Stormy weather ... uggghhh ... I really don't like stormy weather, and I really, really, really don't like driving in heavy traffic in stormy weather. But I digress ... back to my topic for this evening ... the jerk in the silver Volvo.

In the 20 or so years that I've been commuting back and forth to downtown KC, I don't think I've ever seen such a display of road rage as I did this morning on my way to work. A young woman driving a black Mercedes started to change lanes and didn't (or more likely couldn't) see the silver Volvo in the lane she was attempting to merge into. The guy driving the Volvo honked the car's horn to signal his presence (as he should have), and the young woman quickly maneuvered her car away from his and back into her original lane. No big deal, right? It's happened to all of us ... you check your mirror, turn on your blinker and start to change lanes only to discover you're about to hit another car which was obviously hidden in your blind spot. Heck, I did it just last week ... twice. I breathed a sigh of relief this morning for the two drivers as they avoided the possible collision ... I even said out loud in my car, "Whew ... thank goodness that guy honked and the woman corrected her mistake." But within seconds, I watched a scene unfold that made me wish I was brave enough to run the jerk in the silver Volvo off the road myself. 

I couldn't believe my eyes as for the next 20 minutes, the jerky Volvo guy cut in and out in front of the gal in the Mercedes ... swerving extremely close to her car each time and laying on the horn with his left hand while he extended the middle finger of his right hand toward the by then obviously unnerved young woman. A couple of times, I thought for sure the Volvo jerk was going to hit the Mercedes woman, and several times, I thought for sure he was going to cause an accident among the cars around him. My blood boiled as I watched this stupid jerk not only endanger his own life but the young woman's and all the rest of us who were driving nearby. I'm sure I wasn't alone in cheering when the jerk and his silver Volvo finally exited from the interstate, and I'm equally as sure I wasn't alone in wishing I could give the young woman a hug and tell her she didn't deserve what that guy did. We all make mistakes, and the jerk in the Volvo could surely use some serious lessons in compassion and forgiveness.

The truth is that I haven't been able to stop thinking about what I witnessed this morning on my drive into work, and tonight I think I know why ... I know what it feels like to be the woman in the Mercedes. There have been countless times in my life when I've checked my mirror, turned on my blinker and started to change lanes only to discover I had no idea of the danger that was lurking right beside me. Unfortunately, I've experienced a few jerks in silver Volvos over the years ... people who are just plain old mean and rude ... people who choose to humiliate rather than show compassion ... people who demonstrate hate instead of love and forgiveness. But here's the thing ... the really big thing I've learned ... the only thing that jerks in silver Volvos do is hurt the people around them. That guy this morning accomplished only one thing ... he accomplished being a jerk in a silver Volvo who bullied the young woman in the Mercedes.

Think about how that young woman must have felt following her interaction with the jerk in the silver Volvo. But even more ... so much more ... think about how she would have felt if the jerk in the silver Volvo would have slowed down and been kind enough to let her into his lane. Think about it, friends ... really, really, really think about it.