Just a Little Patience

I was driving through town yesterday with the radio cranked because the song “Patience” by Guns and Roses was playing. I love that song. Especially the bit in the middle where the first part of the song closes out with an instrumental passage, and then the awesome second part begins. If you know this song, I know you know what I’m talking about.

I pulled up to a red light, behind a stopped car. I was listening to the instrumental passage and I realized there was no way to improve on anything. I could sit right here and never move until I died if it stayed just like this.

The light changed to green, and the car ahead of me did not go. I could see that he was busy doing something. I had no urge to nudge him with my horn. In fact I welcomed the chance to listen to my favorite part of the song without having to multitask during it.

When the light changed to red, the car ahead of me did a slight lurch forward and then stopped quickly. I could picture everything that had just happened inside the driver’s mind. I imagined him laughing a little at himself right now, as we sat here together for a few more minutes.

If it had been me who had done what he did, I’d be looking in my rear view mirror right now for sure, just out of reflex. And then I would be shocked to see a car sitting there. Think about it. The only way there could be a car behind me is if it had approached a green light with a stopped car in front of it, and then pulled up to a stop behind it. Or, I guess the only other possibility is if the car had sat through the entire light cycle, silently. That’s what I’d be thinking about. I wondered if his busy little mind was trying to sort out how there could be a car behind him. And that made me laugh.

After a little while, the song ended magnificently, and the driving resumed.