Here I am again thinking about a word...a real word this time. But none the less, it's caused me to have a flashback to the summer following my senior year of high school. I was the passenger in a 66 souped up Mustang being driven by my boyfriend, and was blaring a cassette tape of, Let the Good Times Roll by The Cars while the windows were down. I was relaxed and didn't have a care in the world. We were traveling along side of another Mustang being driven by his best friend, who also had his girlfriend in the car. We were probably coming back from the bowling alley and heading toward home. Those of you who are familiar with the roads near to where I grew up (hint, same place as now) will recognize this location. We were heading west on Rt. 450 just off of Rt. 3, nearing Sacred Heart Church. There were two lanes in both directions on a divided highway at this point, but eventually, and quite suddenly, they merged into only one lane on one single road...merge being the key word. I vaguely remember my boyfriend looking past me while smiling toward his friend when all of a sudden I felt the car go into some kind of a super hyper warp speed, and I had my first and only experience ever of g-force. My entire body was thrown against my seat, and I'm sure my cheeks were blowing backward over my ears. I have no idea how fast we were going, but it felt as if I were going to break right through my seat. I could tell ever so briefly that our friend next to us was flying as well, when I realized that I, little meek and timid me, was involved in a game of chicken. Who would reach the single lane first? I have to pause here for a second and apologize to my parents (who are reading this), and, to you know who...Officer Buckle, because they've never heard this story. But, I was not driving! And, I didn't appreciate what was happening. I don't know who got to the single lane first, but I can guarantee you, that when I found my voice, I let him have it, and he never played that game again with me in the car. The dictionary defines, merge, as: to combine, to unite, to swallow up, to be absorbed, to lose one's identity by uniting or blending. Well, according to this definition, that is about what happened to me all those years ago...I just about merged with a Mustang, and became part of the cracked vinyl seating.

I would think that most of you reading this are familiar with merge signs on the road. Aside from any idiots playing chicken on the highway, how many of you have had problems merging into one lane. The opportunities to merge are endless, and the results are often times aggressive. Why, at the last second of completing a merge, does a car speed up to pass me? It happens so often that I wonder if there is a sign on the back of my car instructing to do so.

Where are you going, that you had to jump in front of me?

Are you going to get to your destination quicker by doing this?

What is your problem?

These are some of the thoughts I've had in the past during my unsuccessful mergings. But then I had an opportunity recently to watch a short video that taught me a couple of things: I absolutely don't have the ability to know what's going on with the hundreds or thousands of people I pass in my vehicle each day, AND I absolutely should know the incredible impact that my one small positive gesture may make. In other words, maybe there's a reason, other than being aggressive, that causes someone to push, shove and pass unfairly...maybe. And maybe the way I handle the situation will make better for everyone involved.

Take a moment to watch this video if you can. It's four minutes long, but it really left me with something important to think about. For those of you new to opening a hyperlink, right click on the link and select 'open in new window.' It's called, Get Service.

The video really did give me a different perspective on how to handle opportunities of merging, which, I think, could really be thought of as opportunities on how to live life.

It seems to me that so much of society is ready to fight, ready to let words fly or horns honk, or worse, ready to hurt...and over what? It seems that tempers fly so quickly that people are really missing out on something big...happiness...and the opportunity to be the kind person.

So what has my silver learned from the merges of yesterday and today? I want to be the one who makes the difference in small and continuous ways in others' lives. So now, when I'm presented with the occasion to line up, merge, or take a turn, I try to feel the presence of those around me. Does someone need a kind word or inviting gesture simply because...simply because my words or action might stick with them...might just be the tiny little difference they needed NOT to crack. And, I hope my silver may never think of the word, merge, in the same way again.

**As many of you know, my purpose in beginning this blog was to help build my social media platform in order to get my name 'out there.' Thank you to everyone who has been visiting my blog regularly, clicking on the 'follow button,' and sending me words of encouragement. Revisions to my story are complete, and I am now ready to begin approaching literary agents. Let the fun begin!

The Silver Side of Life