Love Thy Neighbor

So last Tuesday I was driving back from printing the funeral program folders at our church. It was just the day after Sharon had died. I had a lot on my mind. Obviously. I was still mentally editing and rehearsing the eulogy, and had not yet finished the slideshow. I was on my way home to receive a meal from one our church's small groups which I needed to deliver to my father-in-law's house. We still had hundreds of folders to fold. And then I needed to drive about 30 minutes north to pick up my kids from my mom and dad's house, bring them home, take Andrew to get a haircut, look for a suit jacket for him, and still had to confirm childcare arrangements for the following day. And grocery shop. I had a lot of my mind. Not to mention I was grief-stricken and exhausted.

So I was sitting at a stoplight about a mile from my house. Front of the line.

And the light turned green.

And yeah, I guess I was just a little too lost in thought because I didn't take off promptly
enough for SOMEONE'S liking.

A burgundy minivan came FLYING up from about 3 or 4 cars back, could have been further, it was a blur, and passed me on the right.

I remember seeing a pasty complexioned hand, and a middle finger gesturing in my direction, before it swerved in front of me and slammed on the brake.

Hard.

Harder than any other such time anyone has ever tried to teach me a lesson.

I slammed on mine. Dishes from the back came flying forward.

I honked my horn.

Loudly. And longly.

So the pasty handed, minivan driving ASS did it AGAIN.

And I had to brake even harder. I think they even squealed a little.

I was livid beyond description.

I could see red. Seriously. I felt almost homicidal.

I fumbled for my phone to call 911 (on the minivan driver, not myself) but soon found that the license plate was too dirty to make out the numbers.

It continued to drive painfully slowly in front of me. I purposely lagged way behind. I was relieved to see my turn come into view. I put on my blinker to get in the turn lane, but at the last minute the van also swerved into the turn lane. The street to my subdivision is just after
said turn. I was reluctant to put on my blinker, lest it too would turn into my subdivision. I simply could not tolerate being provoked any further without harming someone. Sure enough as I was slowing to turn, it too slowed and turned into my subdivision.

GREAT!

So I went past my street and turned on the next one to come into the sub the back way, strategizing my plan of attack if the need should arise. I half expected it to be waiting for me when I got to the end of the street.

And it was.

PARKED IN ITS GARAGE!

It was someone from my own stupid neighborhood. I have talked to them before. I have gone to their garage sale for years, even before moving there, and they have come to mine. I wave to them a couple times a week.

I could not believe it.

The driver was nowhere to be seen so I still don't know if it was the mom or the teenage son. I know it wasn't the dad as I had just seen him in town.

It took all that was within me to stop myself from going up to the door to "apologize" for my wrongdoing and to let them know I was their neighbor. Their grieving neighbor. Even after I went home, I considered going back down there just to let them know who I was.

But I did not.

I had way too much to do to waste time killing anyone that day.