Drive Time

My drive to work is some 45 minutes long one way encompassing four different freeways if you don't count the 143 which is practically unused.

It has become personal.

When I start out I merge on to the 101 and at rush hour, it requires attitude. Offering 5 lanes to choose from, all with their own personalities. There is something about this road that makes everyone fly free. Maybe because it it the newest freeway of all and commands respect. No one adheres to it. There is attitude from other drivers as I even intend to merge onto their asphalt territory. Once engulfed in the chaos of cars, I adopt my own attitude and drive with arrogance.

That is until I take the loop to the right some 5 miles later to enter I-17. This road is my nemesis.The oldest of them all in this city. Past Dunlap the entire feeling of my drive experience changes. It's the middle of Phoenix thoroughfare complete with wall to wall semi's, decrepit cars from the inner city and just has ghetto attitude. I get a bit antsy around about Indian School as driving is not a skill in this part of town but a matter of survival. From here to the stack I find myself gripping a bit harder playing a vehicular chess game. There comes a point in the road where you can see who drives it every day and those that just wander on occasionally. Past McDowell, you have to make a decision as to which way. This is brake light territory as the unaware just became so at 70 miles an hour and have to cross over 2 lanes to make the right decision. This is my Zen spot in the road, each and every day. There is a big green road sign that points to local destinations and then the one pointing right that says "Los Angeles"? And I wonder "what if"? What if I just fell out of life and kept going?

Get in my truck and drive. Go where I wanna go without explaination.

I make the decision to go left..... doing the right thing.