I don't expect much but....

When I'm driving, I try to do the right thing. If I see someone trying to get into traffic or cross traffic from a side street, I let them out if it doesn't mess up the flow or delay people behind me by too much. I don't expect a thank you because I consider it my civic duty to help keep traffic moving. Don't get me wrong - I like getting a thank you or a smile as much as anyone but if I don't get one I don't get mad.

There are those times, though, when I'm ready to blow my top. Two days ago, I stopped to let another car cross the lane I was in to get to the lane going the other way. As they crossed, the driver looked at me. This usually precedes a smile or a wave of thanks but not this time. The driver glared at me. You'd have thought I'd tried to hit them or yelled at them given the look they gave me. I wasn't too close. They had plenty of room. I hadn't stopped quickly making it look like they'd forced me to let them through. As far as I know, I was happy that day and didn't have my own mean look on my face. No - they just returned my kindness with a mean look and there was no mistaking it.

I thought about rolling down my window and shouting at them as they passed but decided against it. Why make the matter worse? Would it make me feel any better? No, it would just put me in a bad mood. I ended up doing what I usually do in that situation. I said to myself (as if talking to them), "I'm sure glad I'm not you." Can you imagine being that person every day? They probably wonder why so few people go out of their way to help them. They probably wonder why they have so few friends. Thank God that's not my life.