A teachable moment

This was a moment about urgency and maybe a chance to just slow down a bit.

I had the opportunity to drive three guys to school the other day. As we were waiting at a stop sign, I got some driving advice.

There was a car coming.

If it had been at regular speed, I couldn’t have pulled out.

The voice from the back seat..

“Go! You can beat them – floor it”

I didn’t.

So, we ended up following the car which was admittedly going slower than the speed limit. Back seat drivers were at it again.

“Honk your horn”

“Flash your lights”

“Pass them” (there was actually a double line…)

I just kept the pace behind the car.

Eventually, we came to the cemetery in town and the vehicle pulled in and to a recent burial site.

Now was the time to have that conversation.

“Why would someone drive slowly to a cemetery?”

“How would they have felt if we were honking the horn and flashing our lights?”

“How much time did we actually lose by not passing them?”

We did conclude that everyone has something going on in their lives and we may not know what it is. Being rude or aggressive doesn’t make anything better.

I had to smile when I think of a comment made by my daughter once.

“Dad, you’re such a teacher”.

I still remember it and wear it like a badge of honour.

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