There is a natural assumption that conflict is bad and can always be avoided. As I put more miles under my butt on the Harley, I am not sure the assumption is true. Experience on the road suggests that sometimes conflict just happens. There is no logic or compelling rationale. It is a combination of choices made by individuals otherwise unaware of others coming together. What unfolds is an outcome that no one intended but everyone participating in.
A stretch of I-10 nearby is among the deadliest in the US. The road is well designed. It is reasonably maintained. It is considered a big, open road. During peak periods, it is also crowded and congested! When you combine these factors with being in a rush, tiredness, and sun in your eyes, small decisions often have unintended consequences.
When I am in California, I find myself on I-10 everyday. Each time I venture out in the fast moving flow, I find myself on edge. I am alone on a motorcycle at sixty, seventy, and at times eighty miles an hour. Cars, SUVs, and trucks surround me. We are moving as a pack, with silent decisions made by each affecting the whole. Even on a good day, there is a sense of precariousness to the experience.
The outcome of simple choices plays out before your eyes. It may seem extreme, but conflicts are an inherent part of living. In an old story, Paul thought he was going to get away without an incident. “But before he got away, a huge ruckus occurred over what was now being referred to as ‘the Way.’” (Acts 19.23) In this conflict, Paul was simply a part of the pack.
In my case, burning carcasses of what were new passenger vehicles and vans, munched cars and trucks, and even the occasional trail of broken furniture leading to a distraught couple on the highway’s edge, mark the outcome of living.
Riding on I-10 has its risks, but it is a part of living in Redlands. Being aware is often the first and best protection.
