TROUBLING

This is something I wish I wasn't writing about, but I'm also very thankful that nothing serious came from it.

I do think, however, that it is truly a comment on our culture and "times."

On Tuesday I was returning to the high school where I teach from a morning Teacher Training Session at our large District Office across the county. I was turning right with the right-of-way at a traffic light in the town where I teach.

A middle-aged man (30s/40s) in a baseball cap in a large, older truck turned in front of me while I was turning. He forced his way into the lane and not only nearly hit me, but he also practically side-swiped the whole driver side of my car.

I honked.

That is all I did. I honked. I didn't flip him off (not that I would anyway). I didn't curse at him.

I just honked.

The next thing I know, the man slammed on his brakes, threw his truck into park, opened his truck door, got out of the vehicle, and started walking toward me.

This is all in the middle of downtown on a two-lane city street with cars all around.

I knew what was going to happen next. I knew he was going to beat me up. I knew he was coming to have a physical altercation with me.

I'll be honest. I was scared. He looked like a rough red neck, and I looked like easy prey.

I started praying in tongues under my breath, because I thought to myself that I'm either going to get beat up or shot.

I don't know what happened next, but when he got to my car door rolling his sleeves up and looking furious, he stopped, paused, looked in my back seat, said he hadn't seen my car turning (not true), turned around, and walked back to his truck.

That was it.

I've never been so thankful. . .

And I've never been so confused about two things:

(1) What did he see in my backseat? An angel? A large man? (Really, I don't know, but I don't care, because I do believe God was looking out for me somehow and some way. I'm happy too that my face didn't get rearranged.)

(2) Can a driver not honk at another driver who was in the wrong and nearly caused a serious accident for fear of road rage? What has our society come to that a "honk" entitles another person to threaten someone? Why in the heck is everyone so ready to fight and come to blows over anything and everything? I'm just so confused and still a little scared about this.

Since Tuesday, I have thought a great deal about this situation.

I am so thankful for God's protection, but I'm also a little scared about the quickness of people's rage.

Are we all on the brink of breaking?

Here in my area two weeks ago, three high school students were arrested for shooting a college student down at a beach house over an argument over a parking spot.

Yes. Over a parking spot.

Four promising young lives ruined OVER A PARKING SPOT.

Pardon me while I scratch my head.