I am so ashamed of something I did earlier this week. I cut off another driver to get a handicapped
space.
I didn’t mean to, honestly.
I was coming up to the space on the right, and I believed that the
driver on the left was only waiting for the driver in front of her to move so
that she could find a parking space. I
had no idea she was planning to park in that one and only handicapped space
near the café. It wasn’t until she
limped into the restaurant that I realized my mistake. I had selfishly assumed that no one else
would have use for that space, and I took it.
In that moment of realization, I had so many memories flood
over me. I thought about all of the
frustration when I pulled up at the drugstore and saw that the closest
handicapped space was occupied by a driver sitting in his car waiting for
someone inside. I thought about all of
the times I’ve been unable to use the sloped pavement areas to avoid tripping
over a curb because it’s been blocked by a car in the fire line. I thought about emailing the principal at my
sons’ school because the handicapped spaces in front of the after-school care
had been filled up three times in a week by drivers parked illegally.
I don’t know how those drivers felt when they saw me limping
past their cars. I do know that when I
saw someone I had wronged, I felt very small.
I was also ashamed of my arrogance, that feeling of owning that space
that allowed me to ignore the person in need who had been waiting for it.
I sometimes make the mistake of thinking I’m the only person
dealing with a setback, or dealing with a physical burden, or having a bad
day. I need to get over myself and
remember that I’m not the only occupant of this planet and take a moment to
remember how my actions are impacting others.
