- Image via Wikipedia
I was driving home from work the other day and on the way, I noticed that the city had re-painted the lines on the road. And as soon as I noticed those brightly painted and definitive lines, I noticed a slight smile came across my face and was accompanied with a sense of relief. I laughed at myself, and wondered why on earth would I care that new lines were on the roads? I liked the lines, that’s for sure, and then I realized that those lines gave way to a sense of relief because it was like someone had reassured me of where I was supposed to be. “Go this way” or “Go here to turn”. I didn’t have to guess where one lane ended and another began, and I could now clearly tell where the turn lane was, even though last week the lines were a bit fuzzy and faded. I then compared driving my car to the feeling that I get when I drive a boat…where lanes do not exist at all. I love driving boats; there’s an inherent sense of freedom in the idea of being able to go wherever you choose without anyone telling you differently. How odd…how is this like life, I wondered.
With further consideration (because I think about things like this often), I realized that people like having someone tell them what to do, how to do it and when to stop. We like, at least at times, being reassured that we are ‘on the right road’, it seems to give us a sense of security. I think we also like not having to think for ourselves sometimes, too. Those new lines in the road were the equivalent to having a tour guide…the lines vanquished the unknown and uncertainty. Unlike last year when the city decided to change the lanes of a commonly used road. For weeks I watched people turning into a lane that was now reserved for on-coming traffic! (And yes, I did it once or twice too.) The look on the driver’s faces, albeit a little amusing, displayed mild terror and confusion. Whoever thought it was a good idea to shake things up like that would’ve found video of the unsuspecting victims really interesting I’m sure.
Do you like knowing that your choices are good ones? I’m sure you do. And I’d bet that if you stopped and thought about it for a minute, you could appreciate the human tendency to crave knowing something as well as not knowing, following the rules as well as bending them. We all like security and consistency as much as we thrive on the excitement of a good mystery! (And sometimes we unconsciously create risky situations just to feel that rush that comes with wondering how it will turn out!)
I can tell you that I certainly do appreciate knowing that other drivers on the road are now better able to determine where they are supposed to be so that I can have a sense of security that they will stay there and not swerve over into my lane. 
Happy Spring!
Jennifer Tavana
