Lessons I’ve Learned – Part 4: Face Your Fears

Today’s weather forecast is for a quintessentially textbook definition of a winter day. It’s close to -30oC with the wind, which is quite strong. The snow is falling and whipping around, and the sky is heavy and dark. While I sit writing this in the warm comfort of my own home, I know that later, I must leave the house, and that worries me. Driving with road conditions – which are quite poor on winter days like today – is something I fear. It’s not that my vehicle collision experiences occurred on days like today, in fact two were on bare roads with decent temperatures. The other was on a snowy day; however, temperatures were much higher, and the conditions were very different. I fear driving on days like today because of tailgaters; because people follow too close and can’t stop in adequate time.

I live with high pain because of careless drivers who were following too close. On days when the roads are icy, I think about how much my life has changed because of these collisions. Back when I – and my generation – learned to drive, we had to attend classroom and practical driving classes. We attended hours of training, in all weather conditions, and were subject to exams to earn our Driver’s License. I don’t think that’s the case today, and it shows on the roads. Where a safe following distance is left between two cars, today’s drivers often take it as an opening to cut into. Where it is essential to drive to the weather conditions, most people happily speed along, as if driving conditions are optimal. It’s unsafe for all on the road.

What can I do about it, though? The answer is: not much. I could stay home and avoid facing the roads, yet that doesn’t accomplish anything, really. My reason to leave the house hasn’t changed. I could drive, gripped with apprehension, and tense with fear. While I would achieve my reason for leaving the house, I would open myself up to more danger driving while so tense and nervous. My last option is to face my fear; to head out on this wintery day, to respect the rules of the road, other drivers, and the conditions.

My message here is simple: face your fears. Arm yourself with reason and respect; it will give you confidence to face your fears. And as a side note, don’t follow too close to cars in front of you. Hitting them – even low impact – can be life changing. Be safe this holiday season, so that you and yours, and all who share the road can enjoy a merry and bright end to the year.