
It kicks back a disgusting black cloud of gross that you inevitably have to drive through. If you don't already have your ventilation set to "circulate in-car," you're punished with breathing in the putrid fumes.
Can you tell how much I hate this circumstance?
Well, color me incredulous today.
I was driving into work when I noticed a line of five cars driving placidly behind a large truck spewing VOLUMES of filth into the air.
The fumes were black, but not one of these cars moved to get around the offending vehicle.
INCREDULOUS!
I wasn't going to wait around for them to come to their senses. I switched lanes and drove right past all six of them.
The rest of the way to work, I kept wondering why the other five vehicles didn't follow suit. There was a completely open lane to their left. They definitely weren't following the truck for directions. Why, then, would all of them be content to remain behind a truck spewing poison into their cars?
It was then that I realized how often we each do this in our own lives.
How often do we remain content to follow a leader that is so obviously spewing something dangerous?
I'm a big culprit when it comes to bad language. I slip into using terrible language when I'm surrounded by others who do the same. Oh Lord, I'm terrible when it comes to this.
There are clear paths that I could easily steer myself onto that would take me past the foul-language, but I remain. Why? Because sometimes it's easier to coast along and not demand better for oneself.
And that's a terribly embarrassing thing to realize about yourself. But realize it I did as I scoffed at the other "idiot drivers" who didn't see it. *Cringe*
We do this so often in our lives. Personal relationships, work relationships, even political ones. Our leaders often try to shove unsavory fumes down our throats and we allow it. We can and must do better for ourselves. We need to seek out the other paths that take us beyond the poisonous actions of those we are behind.
One bad exhaust and here I go waxing political. In truth, though, I think the analogy works.