And the reason that I am sure is that last week I drove to Lancaster, OH and all that I saw along the way were ORANGE BARRELS! I kid you not, they stretched from WI to OH and an uglier sight I have never seen. As an after thought, which do I detest more the orange barrels or the bad roads? I came to the conclusion that I will put up with the barrels, the single lanes, the reduced speed limits, the drivers that can’t figure out where the’re supposed to go and the dumkoff that kept trying to push me into the truck that I was following – which was driving 10 mph over the limit as it was. Road construction season has arrived, and the only way to survive this malady is to acquire patience. Frustration is the beginning of ROAD RAGE. Road Rage is past the point of no return. Frustration can be effectively dealt with. I find it amusing to see how many stupid maneuvers I can observe others doing and their absolute lack of any positive results. How many times have I observed a car change lanes to get ahead of someone, sometimes me, and, YEP, you guessed it, a mile down the road I am again right alongside of the same vehicle. I wonder if they are observant (see, I was nice, I did not say intelligent) enough to recognize my car and realize the futility of their actions. And, as I watch them pounding on their steering wheel, grimacing, talking (or rather ranting) probably about the vehicle in front of them that won’t get out of their way – I take another sip of my coffee and tell my entertainment system to play something by Bach. It is at these times that I remember the Serenity Prayer of Nibhul: “…To accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; And wisdom to know the difference.” Ah, the wisdom to know the difference is the challenge. Have a safe summer and drive safely. Until next week, remember …

ATTITUDE ALWAYS PRECEDES ACTION