Missing the Exit
Driving my daughter to school the other morning, I got caught up in the usual frustration: cars camping in the left lane, refusing to move over as I approached behind them. I flashed my lights, muttered under my breath, rode their bumper.
Then, for the second time in a month, I realized I’d missed my exit.
We still got to school on time because I’d left early enough for there to be cushion, but the irony landed hard. I was so wrapped up in correcting the mistakes of other drivers that I completely overlooked my own.
It’s a humbling metaphor, one I’ve lived before. How often do we spend our energy trying to fix other people, only to lose track of where we’re going? It’s easier to honk than to steer. Easier to judge than to notice your own blind spots.
That morning was a reminder: focus on your lane first. The world doesn’t need more self-appointed traffic cops. It needs people who know where they’re headed, and who can get there without missing the turn.