My daughter is learning to drive. In New South Wales, learner drivers have to log 120 hours of supervised driving. Earlier today, we went for a drive, principally to work on car park manoeuvring and perpendicular parking. I directed her to a suitable car park, and I worked her over for twenty minutes. Park on the left. Pull out. Park on the right. Park beside the red car. Park beside the silver car. Reverse back into that spot etcetera.
On the drive home, she stopped at a roundabout through which traffic is directed by traffic signals during peak times. We had to wait. She waited a fraction too long, and the driver behind tooted her, suggesting impolitely via his car horn that she should have entered the roundabout. I was incensed, and fired my death stare at the offending driver. I talked to him politely and calmly, with seething anger, despite the fact he could not hear me.
I noticed the man's wife appeared to be angry with him, and I surmised that she may have been remonstrating with him for tooting a learner. Believing that to be the case, I lauded the woman's actions and although she couldn't prevent his actions, perhaps he won't repeat them. Afterwards, I pondered the significance of restraining forces in our lives. As this is a blog post, and not a book, I shan't go into details, but I simply wish to pose the question: when have you been restrained by a wiser, cooler head? When has the voice of reason saved you from an act of madness?
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