“No seatbelt ma’am,” said the driver who picked me up at Coimbatore airport. This is one habit I just can’t shake.
As we drove up through the mountains, toward my retreat, I turned on Deepak Chopra affirmations audio book. The first one seemed appropriate: to accept myself, and accept the world, just as it is. That is exactly what I must do. It isn’t easy to accept that such suffering exists. But it does. And I must accept it.
While I thought the sight of trees and mountains was peaceful, suddenly my transport turned into the streets of Bombay on steroids. Overtaking with honking horns, not a centimeter to spare – on my left, a cliff that should we slip would send me to my death, and on my right, a bus, or a truck, or a bicycle. It’s the buses that scare me most. We overtake one, two, three cars, and a truck – all in a row. The drivers hand on the horn the whole way.
“I’m not in a hurry,” I assured the driver (after screaming at the top of my lungs).
Alas it seems honking and over-taking is the only way up the mountain. Honking, and prayer. I allow Deepak’s voice calm my soul, and the green surrounds give me a sense of serenity. I am glad to be here. I am exactly where I am meant to be. I accept my fate – and I accept this car ride just as it is.
Take note on picture: trees (thank God!), two lane traffic (we are overtaking a truck), and a sharp corner sign ahead (VERY VERY dangerous)… And there were worse situations than this.
I am really not looking forward to the drive back down…
Do drivers have to sit a test for their licence before they start driving or is it “on the job training”?