As some of you may recall, I recently posted about teamwork and how I love to see people come together for a cause. Today's cause that I am excited to talk about is "lane blocking". What is lane blocking? It's something we all have either done or wished we had done when we get stuck in traffic. Let me paint the picture:
Here you are, tooling along on your way to work, making excellent time, thinking about how you will definitely be there before your boss today. The windows are rolled down, the birds are chirping, the air is crisp and refreshing, today is a good day. All of a sudden, you come to a complete stop. A stop that seems to last a lifetime. You try to see around the gigantic truck in front of you with no luck. You see the people in the lane to your right, flying by, as if they are privileged to not have to get stuck where you are. You think, "I want to be like them, I want to go!" No luck, they are driving as if they are in the Indy 500, not allowing you in, leaving you stuck with exhaust from the truck in front of you. So, you sit, and eventually are able to move forward. As you do this, you realize that your once excited, happy mood has been replaced by an anxious, frustrated one. "I am going to be SO late!", you think. As you move forward, you notice a merge sign up ahead, stating that everyone is merging into your lane. Now, I think you understand where I am going with this, right? The mean people, who flew by with no regard to anyone else, they saw this sign and knew that they would not wait as long as you. They wiggle their way into the front of the line, in front of everyone else who has waited their turn.
I don't know about you, but this really chaps my hide! But wait, there is a happy ending:
Take the above example, except I am the driver, stuck behind the truck. One day, I saw a woman in front of me start to head into that right lane, the one that was going to have to merge. As she attempted her journey, I thought, "Where is she going, doesn't she know that she is going to have to get over? Figures!" But to my surprise, she ended up sitting half way into the next lane, but just enough to ward off any passers. "Wow," I thought, "She is fighting back! She is the protector of all good and is here to help us!" I immediately put my car in the same position and noticed others following suit. At that time, I felt proud to be a part of such teamwork! And today, I was the fearless leader, watching others back me up. What a great feeling! Oh, by the way, I got to work before my boss.
