Stress....

Stress. I avoid it at all cost. Day 28 of this 30 day blog challenge, ask of me to write about something that stresses me out. For the most part, I do a pretty good job of avoiding it. But every once in a while, I find myself on the road in the middle of the day in this metropolitan area of Detroit. The auto industry killed the public transportation system before I was even born. So what we have left is everyone driving their own  cars. They all want to be first to get to the next red light. If you leave more than  six feet of space between your car and the one in front of you, you'll have four people cut you off and then they all slam on their brakes as they approach the next signal light. It's a "Me first!" mentality around here. Other cars are treated like obstacles, not other people. No one smiles at you or says hello. Consider yourself lucky if someone acknowledges you by flipping you the bird. Mostly, they don't even realize that you are there. If you glance to the side of the road to perhaps find a business or read a street sign, you can rest assured that the person in front of you will find a need to slam on their brakes for no apparent reason.

I've spent a lot of time in larger cities where there is a public transport system and people seem to be friendlier, more aware of your existence and you might even get someone to talk to you. In small towns, most people will greet you in some fashion or another. But here, you better just get  out of the way. It's an economy built on building yourself up and knocking others down. A recipe for disaster. And on the rare occasion that I find myself out there in it, yes, it stresses me out.

The casket spray from Mom's funeral. Seven long stem red roses for her seven kids.
Six pink roses for her six grandkids and four yellow roses for her great grandkids. lying in a basket. She is also wearing a lovely corsage from her husband, my father.