A Few Words Of Gratitude To The Driver That Tried To Run Me Over This Morning

Dear Reckless Driver,

After I finished up my run this morning and made my way back home, you for some unbeknownst reason to me deliberately aimed your vehicle directly at me and accelerated as I went to cross Shelmire Street.

It took me a second to process what had even just happened, by the time I did you were half way down the street. I wasn’t even able to make out if you were a man, woman or child due to the tint on your Chevy Suv.

My initial impulse was to chase your vehicle down the street like a raging maniac, hope you hit traffic at the next intersection, rip you out of your car and beat you senseless at 7:30am as parents driving their kids to school watched in horror.

Then as I walked my way up the block and you cowardly pulled off as I expected you to, I realized I had just let you pull me down to your pathetically low level and that I needed to immediately turn around and go home.

I won’t lie, I was a ball of rage on my two minute walk home. Thanks to my Nike Running Club app, the picture below is a GPS map of my entire trip this morning, the whole debacle.

The yellow you see is when I was actually running. The yellowish orange color indicates a slightly more elevated heart rate than usual

The red you see is from the time the driver accelerated at me without warrant and I began walking in pursuit of him. Red indicates a very elevated heart rate. Red is apparently, literally the color of anger.

However, a strange thing happened when I finally got home. I replayed what happened over in my mind and literally laughed out loud about how ridiculous the whole incident was, especially my reaction to it.

I immediately turned into John Rambo as the words “they drew first blood” rang throughout my head and then proceeded to walk, In an attempt to catch a moving vehicle. Not one of my proudest moments, I’ll admit.

But what was one,was when I laughed, let it go and worked out as planned. Then another when I went from doing that to posting the article I intended to, before I was almost struck by a vehicle.

Lastly I just wanted to thank you. If you hadn’t pulled off so quickly, there is no telling what may have happened. Although, I’m certain it wouldn’t have ended in an angry letter you’ll never get to read.

I also wanted to thank you for helping me realize that not even an accelerating vehicle with ignorance at the wheel, headed directly for me, will be enough to stop me from carrying out my purpose.

The amount of gratitude I have for the lessons you taught me today by trying to run me over and the growth in myself I found through it is truly remarkable, thank you and enjoy the rest of your day.

PS: Both God and Karma Don’t Like Ugly