Today was a tragic day for a 28-year old woman and her 4-year old daughter. They were driving along Interstate 5 near Camp Pendleton this morning in north San Diego County when her Black GMC Yukon slammed into the back of a stationary semi-truck at the end of a line of trucks stopped at the San Onofre truck inspection station. The truck driver was unharmed.
The northbound side of the freeway was closed for a few hours, creating gridlock that backed up 25 miles and lasted several more hours, even after two lanes were opened.
Why am I telling you about this? Because I was one of those drivers who spent several hours sitting in that gridlock on northbound Interstate 5 today. And if you’ve ever been on that stretch of interstate, you know that there are no side streets alongside the interstate and there is no way to turn around. You’re stuck. Your only options are to stay in the traffic or pull off to the side of the highway and wait. Either way, you’re in it for the duration.
What do you do in a situation like that? Relax and center yourself. There’s no point getting worked up because there’s nothing you can do to change the situation. Enjoy some good music or listen to an audio book. Hopefully you keep snacks and water with you. If you need a break, pull off to the side of the road.
Be grateful. Your life may be impacted for a few hours, but at least you will reach your destination safely, unlike the victims of the accident. It’s so easy to take our lives for granted, and that accident serves as a reminder that every moment is a precious gift, even if those moments are spent in traffic. Being grateful will help you to relax and center yourself.
It was a long day in traffic, and I know that I am grateful to be at home sitting safely in front of my computer writing this post and having the opportunity to connect once again with all my loved ones!
The northbound side of the freeway was closed for a few hours, creating gridlock that backed up 25 miles and lasted several more hours, even after two lanes were opened.
Why am I telling you about this? Because I was one of those drivers who spent several hours sitting in that gridlock on northbound Interstate 5 today. And if you’ve ever been on that stretch of interstate, you know that there are no side streets alongside the interstate and there is no way to turn around. You’re stuck. Your only options are to stay in the traffic or pull off to the side of the highway and wait. Either way, you’re in it for the duration.
What do you do in a situation like that? Relax and center yourself. There’s no point getting worked up because there’s nothing you can do to change the situation. Enjoy some good music or listen to an audio book. Hopefully you keep snacks and water with you. If you need a break, pull off to the side of the road.
Be grateful. Your life may be impacted for a few hours, but at least you will reach your destination safely, unlike the victims of the accident. It’s so easy to take our lives for granted, and that accident serves as a reminder that every moment is a precious gift, even if those moments are spent in traffic. Being grateful will help you to relax and center yourself.
It was a long day in traffic, and I know that I am grateful to be at home sitting safely in front of my computer writing this post and having the opportunity to connect once again with all my loved ones!
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