Rory Bore at Ink Interrupted hosts the Tuesday Coffee Chat, and this week she asks the question, Is there anything you need to let go of before you can embark on this new year?
There is one thing, and i've been trying to let it go for a long time. It's not easy. It's time, though, to let go the thought and hope that the traffic is going to get any better around here, or that people are going to drive any better than they do now.
When i am right in my own little area, it's not so bad. Yes, several of the people nearby think that because this is a quiet, neighborhood area they don't really have to obey the stop signs if they can see from a distance that no other cars are there, but when they do see you coming, they do stop. It's a bit of a relaxed atmosphere, because everyone is a neighbor and there's never "traffic."
Once you get out on the highway, it's a totally different story. People driving so slowly they are causing the equivalent of a rolling road block. People driving so fast they are weaving in and out and going to end up killing someone. People on their phones or texting, weaving into your lane and don't even realize it.
The only thing that could make this teetotaler a drinking woman is the traffic.
But i do need to let it go. The situation will not change, there are double the number of vehicles on the roads than we have the capacity to handle. No matter what, they cannot build enough roads, or synchronize the traffic lights, or change the fact that every time someone has a wreck on the interstate it shuts down traffic in four parishes. (It's Louisiana, we don't have counties, we have parishes.)
It's not going to get better, even if there were a plan that would work to make it better, there's no money to implement it, and letting my blood pressure go up because of it won't change it.
Time to change me, and let this go.
Today is:
Annual Visit of the Poe Toaster -- the mysterious person who, for almost 75 years, dressed in black with a wide brimmed hat and scarf, annually visited Poe's grave on his birthday, leaving roses and cognac; has not been seen since 2009
Brew A Potion Day -- internet generated, no reasons given
Confederate Heroes Day -- Texas, US (some things never change)
Feast of Sultan (Sovereignty) -- Baha'i
Horror Novels Are Horrendous Day -- for Poe's birth anniversary
La Tamborrada -- San Sebastian, Spain (begins in the evening, a 24 hour drum jam session and the city's biggest fiesta)
Little Ricky Day -- marking the date of his arrival on "I Love Lucy"
National Popcorn Day
Neon Sign Day -- patented this day in 1915
Rid The World of Fad Diets and Gimmicks Day -- always the Tuesday of Healthy Weight Week and includes the announcement of the Slim Chance Awards, highlighting the worst fad diets of the prior year;
Sacrifices to Apollon -- Ancient Greek Calendar (date approximate)
St. Canute's Day a/k/a St. Knud (Patron of Denmark)
St. Henry of Uppsala's Day (Patron of the Catholic Cathedral of Helsinki; Finland; against storms)
Theophany/Epiphany -- Eastern and Oriental Orthodox Christians who still follow the Julian Calendar
Timket -- Ethiopian Orthodox Christian (with huge, colorful festivals through the whole country)
Blessing of the Waters -- Greek Orthodox Cathedral of St. Sophia, Bayswater, London, UK
Tin Can Day -- patented this day in 1825
Birthdays Today:
Shawn Johnson, 1992
Jodie Sweetin, 1982
Frank Caliendo, 1974
Drea de Matteo, 1972
Shawn Wayans, 1971
Wendy Moniz, 1969
Junior Seau, 1969
Paul McCrane, 1961
William Ragsdale, 1961
Thomas Kinkade, 1958
Simon Rattle, 1955
Desi Arnaz, Jr., 1953
Dewey Bunnell, 1952
Robert Palmer, 1949
Paula Deen, 1947
Dolly Parton, 1946
Shelley Fabares, 1944
Janis Joplin, 1943
Michael Crawford, 1942
Phil Everly, 1939
Richard Lester, 1932
Robert MacNeil, 1931
Tippi Hedren, 1931
Fritz Weaver, 1926
Jean Stapleton, 1923
Guy Madison, 1922
John H. Johnson, 1918
Lester Flatt, 1914
Edgar J. Helms, 1863
Paul Cezanne, 1839
Edgar Allan Poe, 1809
Robert E. Lee, 1807
James Watt, 1736 (O.S. date)
Debuting/Premiering Today:
"48 Hours"(TV), 1988
"The Millionaire"(TV), 1955
"Woman of the Year"(Film), 1942
"Il Trovatore"(Verdi Opera), 1853
"Faust Part I"(Goethe tragic play), 1829
Today in History:
Rouen surrenders to Henry V of England completing his reconquest of Normandy, 1419
San Agustin Church in Manila is officially completed; it is currently the oldest church in the Philippines, 1607
The second group of ships of the First Fleet arrives at Botany Bay, 1788
The United Kingdom occupies the Cape of Good Hope, 1806
Ezra Daggett and Thomas Kensett obtain a patent for a process of storing food in tin cans, 1825
Goethe's Faust Part I premiers, 1829
Verdi's Il Trivatore preniers in Rome, 1853
The first electric lighting system employing overhead wires, built by Thomas Edison, begins service at Roselle, New Jersey, 1883
Ibsen's play The Master Builder premiers in Berlin, 1893
Georges Claude patents the neon discharge tube for use in advertising, 1915
The US Senate votes against membership in League of Nations, 1920
Coopers Inc. sells the world's first briefs, 1930
For the only time in recorded history, snow falls in Miami, Florida, 1977
The last VW Beetle made in Germany leaves the plant, 1978
United States and Iranian officials sign an agreement to release 52 American hostages after 14 months of captivity, 1981
The Apple Lisa, the first commercial personal computer from Apple Inc. to have a graphical user interface and a computer mouse, is announced, 1983
Czech Republic and Slovakia join the United Nations, 1993
The New Horizons probe is launched by NASA on the first mission to Pluto, 2006
I think it is hard to let go of things. Just have to make up your mind that there just isn't a lot you can do about the situation rather than then let it bother you.
ReplyDeleteTry driving in central California, the bay area, Los Angeles, Sacramento. It's a real treat too. I so understand your frustration.
ReplyDeleteHave a fabulous day. ☺
It's difficult to let things go but for your health, you have to learn to let it go. I know.It's very tough but I've learned to deal with many things and for my health, I learned it. I've asked God to teach me to do it and he has.
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful, positive Tuesday my friend. See ya.
Cruisin Paul
My procrastination and inner shyness...but I have had these for decades so letting go is a little unrealistic. Baby steps.
ReplyDeleteYes yes yes!! I feel this to my core. The absolute worst of me comes out in driving through traffic. It makes my little technology rant look like a lullaby! I started playing music in the car because it just seems to calm me and make the time go faster/nicer. It's weird that traffic seems more tolerable if I am singing my favourite song, but whatever. Meanwhile, other drivers in my area are probably "there goes that singing loon again. why can't she just drive!!" LOL
ReplyDeleteAccepting bad driving is something we probably all have to do - as you say, it isn't going to change in a hurry.
ReplyDeleteHeavy traffic and bad driving are vexing to many of us. Talk radio just made me angrier so I switched over to listening to music. I'm a little calmer.
ReplyDeleteGosh, this is a tough problem. My boyfriend loves driving because he pretends he's a professional driver with a very important client that he has to protect while he gets them to point B. It works for him. When I had to drive a lot, I listened to punk rock pretty loud, which somehow calmed me down. You just gotta find your happy place or move. It kinda comes down to that. Good luck!
ReplyDelete