No reason to rush during a long holiday drive

INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

With Holy Week upon us, and with it a rare five-day holiday break, the question in most people’s minds is where do we go?

While most people opt to go out of town, probably to the nearest beach to cool down, or Baguio and Tagaytay, the acknowledged summer capitals of the Philippines (in that both places remain cool, a good 7-10 degrees Celsius cooler than most of the Philippines during summer), a good number opt to remain in Metro Manila and enjoy doing some traffic-free motoring.

Friends with sports cars, exotic cars, tuner cars and project cars take this opportunity to stretch the legs of said cars on roads where it is commonly traffic and cars all but crawl to a stand-still during the rest of the year. There is something truly satisfying and gratifying with traveling to both ends of Edsa in under an hour, without breaking any traffic laws and speed limits nor endangering your life and the lives of others while at the same time enjoying the scenery.

Everyone who stays in Metro Manila are usually more relaxed as opposed to those traveling out of town, who have to contend with the crowds of fellow-vacationers and the ensuing traffic, coupled with high prices and over-filled commercial establishments.

But wherever you go, allow the season of Lent to dominate the mood. Let’s all be sober, non-aggressive, passive even and give way, yielding the right of way whenever we can. There’s a practical reason for this: everyone out of town is in a rush as they try to make the most out of their five-day holiday. Everyone out of town is usually with family and friends, having to contend with stretching their budget as well as their time, to be able to do and accomplish a lot of things, see and visit a lot of places, and get in some rest. Thus the constant rushing. And we all know that anyone rushing is bound to be edgy at the very least, stressed more likely, irritable even.

Stress causes lack of concentration, less effective rational and objective thinking and alertness while driving. From the constant nagging of your better halves to things you promised them/failed to accomplish, to the non-stop yapping of your kids’ “are we there yet” to dealing with traffic in general plus the (God forbid) accidents, whether major or minor which can truly make or break your holiday.

Hence my advice is, slow down. Literally. Not just with your driving, but also with your activities. For a predominantly Christian nation, we should all somehow be taking this opportunity to rest more than anything else. Admittedly, resting, in the fullest Christian sense of the word, doesn’t just mean to stop and do nothing, but rather, to do something different from what we always do. Driving for me is a form of rest. The Book of Genesis told us that God rested on the seventh day. But how does God rest? I don’t know, but I’m sure He was still doing something other than creating anything as someone as busy as Him obviously doesn’t rest in the traditional sense of just hanging out and not doing anything.

While my intention is not to preach, (I’m probably a worse sinner compared to the next guy) think of driving to your destination as not a means to an end, but rather, a chance to be together with your loved ones and do something different for a change, which is to have an open mind to explore the scenery, admire nature and relish your company.

Slowing down relaxes you. It helps you regain focus on the road, on your driving and the conditions surrounding your situation. It keeps you away from risky situations when everyone else is rushing. It reminds you to slow down on junctions and intersections, to be more through checking the condition of your car and the road ahead. And it de-stresses you. Slowing down while driving allows you to savor the moment with friends and family, enjoying their company and conversation better. The worst case I can think of is driving like a madman to your summer getaway only to arrive very tired and very stressed, failing to enjoy your destination because you spend your time sleeping and resting in bed. You could have done that at home, with minimal expense to boot.

So this Holy Week, slow down, relax. You’ll get to your destination better, less grumpier, less stressed. While slowing down might mean you arrive a few hours late, it’s worth it if you arrive safe and sound, happy to be in the good company of family and friends. Then you can enjoy your destination better. And the drive too!