Every Tuesday and Thursday mornings I pack up my kiddos and drive my daughter to preschool. Since I tend to leave a bit late each morning, we typically wind up smack dab in the middle of the morning rush hour commute.
Those of you who know me and are reading this are probably saying to yourself… “come-on, Traci…it’s Montana, how bad can rush hour really be?”
Well, if you’ve never lived here, you may not realize that a). Montanans aren’t used to dealing with traffic (at all) and b). We simply don’t like to rush anywhere so it makes us a bit cranky. So, while the actual traffic flow might not be as fierce in a major city, rush hour attitudes and anxiety here may just be worse.
When I worked full-time outside of my home, I dreaded the rush hour commute. I was usually late (and I hate being late). With white knuckles and a nasty scowl on my face I would weave my way thorough the traffic while eating a baggie of Cheerios and gulping down stale coffee.
Not anymore. While you may think I am a bit odd, I actually enjoy being one of the dozens of harried commuters who are each racing to get the pole-position at the next red light.
Even though I use the rush hour lunacy as cheap entertainment, I really just take great pleasure knowing that I really don’t have anywhere important to be.
Chances are the guy driving the sports car ahead of me is going to get yelled at by his boss for walking in ten minutes late. The lady in the BMW who is frantically putting on her lipstick and mascara is probably late for a business meeting or important presentation. Boy, do I remember those days.
As for me, I just need to drop my daughter off at preschool, and grab a cup coffee before I start writing. No hurries, no worries.
While people often look for motivation in large paychecks, bonuses, raises and free trips, I am often just motivated by a quick rush hour commute knowing that I am not late for anything and I don’t need to rush anywhere.
Related Reading:
A Few Things That I Love About Being Home Based (Part 1): Portability
A Few Things That I Love About Being Home Based (Part 2): Hanging Out With My Dog
A Few Things That I Love About Being Home Based (Part 3): My Income = My Efforts