I feel unusually strong about not using the cruise control function while driving a car, and it’s a big bone of contention in our family. I don’t get it and no one gets me. I get the logic and the rationale behind it—how it is more fuel-efficient and ensures you’re not speeding, but it all feels so….controlling to me.
I want to be the driver of my car, not a passenger driven by a sophisticated computer. I don’t want to be consistent. I don’t want to have a governor on my speed. I don’t want to take my foot off the gas when I’m seeking to drive myself and my people forward. I want to slow down and speed up at will, sometimes just to keep the ride interesting. I get a lot of eye-rolls and shrugs from my menfolk when I state my reasonings (again) for wanting what I want, which makes me wonder if this “cruise control” thing is more than just about driving.
I can’t help but think this whole damn country has been on cruise control for way too long.
So long we’ve forgotten we’re operating heavy machinery and that people’s lives are in our hands while we assume responsibility for driving. So long that many of us have fallen asleep at the wheel. So long that we’ve had way too many “how did I get here” episodes—you know the ones, where you arrive at a destination and can’t quite remember making the trip? Those moments in this “car” we’ve been driving have gotten us where we are.
We need to be lucid and stay awake as we drive right now. We need to keep our eyes on the road and our foot on the gas, ready to lay it down or let it up at a moment’s notice, with cat-like reflexes. We need to override the programmed computers that have been dictating our actions.
You know what we really need in this country? To go off-roading a bit—to get off the beaten path and out of dodge, discover some new terrain, and get a change of scenery. You can’t do that with cruise control on, no siree. So mine is staying off. Final answer.
Want to know what these daily verses are all about? Read here to learn what inspired this practice on my birthday post, November 1st.
