I could tell she’d done this before.
Arm fully extended, as was the middle finger on her left hand. All while maintaining perfect eye contact with me as she angrily and defiantly drove past me.
Apparently my driving skills did not meet her exacting standards, hence the middle finger feedback.
The world seems full of middle fingers these days. Perhaps everyone feels empowered as hostility and division have become seemingly commonplace and accepted. It’s easy to flip someone off perched high in the driver’s seat of an oversized SUV, just as it’s easy to trash someone on social media given the absence of physical proximity and the anonymity we can hide behind online, ever so brave behind the safety of a keyboard.
As much as I appreciated her feedback, I decided not to return the favor. I do have two middle fingers and I’ve certainly used them over the years to provide my own feedback to others. This time, I didn’t want to engage.
The price was too high.
When triggered, our response is always our choice. Returning fire might make you feel good in the moment, but often that comes at the expense of your peace. Peace is a lot of work. It’s an intentional decision to protect your energy and happiness in a world with a seemingly endless supply of challenges and negativity.
Middle fingers aren’t going away any time soon.
Neither is my intention to preserve my peace.
Photo by Jakob Owens on Unsplash
Peter Mis LivingHalfFull.com 