Of Speed and Mountains

Pushing down, timidly at first than ever so boldly as you become increasingly impatient, your medal hits the proverbial metal. Like a rocket ship, you blast out and away from the crawlers as you take off. Freedom. You can breathe and man does the air smell good.

With the boldness of a child who thinks they have pulled a fast one on dear grandma, you become the speeding bullet that car commercial promised years ago. BANG! You are off and no can catch you. Speed limit signs are mere suggestions that beg to be ignored so you do. Your knowledge of the road is uncontrollable and no cop would dare pull you over.

Push by push, you blaze by would be speed bumps that other cars have become. Like a dream sequence out Nicolas Winding Refn‘s mind, you weave in and out of lanes with the impressive ease. Hours turn into minutes as you fulfill your inner (speed) demon’s destiny. Grinning with unabashed malice as you go, you cruise and cruise and cruise. You are unstoppable. You are master and commander. You are Senna meets the Flash. You are EVERYTHING!

Until you are not. Until you see that construction ahead sign, that speed limit reduced joke, that fines doubled nightmare. You try not to care as your foot eases ever so slightly off the pedal. Looking around wildly, you notice that all other cars haven’t changed speeds even slightly and you furrow your brow. It must be because my speed was so sublimely higher that only you need to take any action.

Still smug, your foot continues to ease off more and more, fighting every impulse your criminal brain sends. 1 mile to go. You slow further. 0.5 miles. 0.4 miles. You cringe and glare as you (gasp!) move into the turtle lane you so typically scoff at. 0.3 miles. 0.2 miles. Cop lights ahead, you grin ear to ear as you realize your wisdom. Even the gods must behave, right?

Except the underlings are not! As you initially feared, other cars are beasting by as they casually ignore the warnings as carelessly as you once ignored speed limit signs. Why aren’t the worried? Why don’t they, the lowly speed bumps take notice? WHY!?! Quick, where is that cop? Justice must be done! And yet, nothing.

Miles later, you pass these underlings, these nothings all over again but your puffed up chest is diminished as doubt refuses to let go as it struggles for a foothold on the melting glacier that was is your confidence.