"THAT" Driver

I pride myself on being a safe and defensive driver. I have had too many close calls of people who blew through a stop sign or red light, who changed lanes without signaling or who were not paying attention and drifted into my lane. Most of the time when I am going anywhere in Grayson I choose to go to this intersection. If I've had to wait on a red light to change and it is my turn, I wait to make sure the cars who are approaching and are supposed to stop actually do. I also make sure those with their signals on begin their turn before I make any forward motion. I get frustrated and say not so nice things about unsafe drivers. (I used to use other names, but my when my small children began using those same words I changed to "you unsafe driver, you!".)

Today I waited at the light behind one car. I was headed to the Thrift Store to work for a few hours. I was in no rush. There were two cars opposite the light as well. The car in front of me turned right and the first car opposite turned left. I turned left immediately after and realized, as the driver opposite me turned right, that today I was "THAT driver." The unsafe one I rant at.

Mentally I kicked myself and repeated in my head "I'm sorry, I don't know what I was thinking" probably a dozen times between my turn and the few seconds it took to stop at the next intersection. I glanced in my rearview mirror. Yep, the car I had just cut off was directly behind me. Close to my bumper. 

The Main Street intersection we were at is a long light. I thought about putting my car in park, rolling down my window, sticking my head out and mouthing "I am so sorry." I decided that was not a good idea. Instead, I put my car in park, opened my door and walked to the drivers door. (In hindsight that probably wasn't a good idea either.) He rolled down the window and I apologized profusely. He assured me it was fine, saying "I figured you probably didn't see me." This is when it got hard. I had to admit I had seen him, I just made the turn because I thought he was headed the other way. 

I apologized again. 

I went back to my car thinking these things:

Thankfully the other driver was paying attention and there was no accident.

It is much easier to pay attention than it is to apologize.

The next time I face the driver I was today, I hope I extend the grace I received today.