Words Per Mile

I used to hate changing lanes. I was so sure I would fail my driver’s test because I couldn’t change lanes at all — and that included merging onto the highway. I know people who have been driving for over a decade who still hate changing lanes.

Why? Because it’s scary. I mean, that’s the obvious answer. But really, it’s one of the times in driving where you have to put the most trust in your surroundings. You can do everything you can to look around, signal, and move slowly (but not too slowly). But there’s only so much you can do about other drivers, and about their cars. Maybe someone is texting and doesn’t see your signal. Maybe your in someone’s blind spot. Maybe that car in the lane you want to enter is about to blow a tire. There are a lot of things that could happen that could cause the space you’ve found for yourself in that lane to no longer be there when you need it.

This isn’t meant to mean that I’m still scared of changing lanes, or that anyone should be. What it means is that we should acknowledge the danger, and…do our best to mitigate it, for ourselves and others. Always know how and why you’re changing lanes, and do it in a way that makes sense.

That means not jumping lanes without signaling, but it also means not putting on your turn signal and sitting there for two miles, confusing everyone else and making them think maybe you’re not changing lanes at all, you’re just a ninny who forgot to turn their signal off. Either way, that space may not be where you need it to be, when you need it to be there. Your timing is all off.

Being too cautious when driving can be just as dangerous as being too reckless. The same can be said, I suppose, for life decisions.

Or, I might say, I’m switching which manuscript I’m querying. At least for now. And my driving test instructor said my highway merge was one of the best she’d ever seen.