Since I began blogging I’ve observed the action in Milly’s Realm more than I ever have before. I take time now to notice my surroundings and see how I fit into them.  I have noticed something interesting and maybe a bit disturbing in an oddly beautiful way on my way to work…

I have twenty to thirty minute commute to work on I-95 in South Florida (aka So FL (say like an 80s chick: Sooo F L) Showing my age I am!). Over the last several weeks on my drive to and fro, I noticed an interesting moving traffic pattern. Anyway I’m driving to work this morning and I saw it again. I really only notice this phenomenon on the interstate. It’s like watching a slow motion video game.

Maybe it’s the long expanse of road with ups and downs from overpasses and bridges with no lights to stop us. All those cars moving in loose formation with living beings inside reacting and making decisions. Like a huge online game where we can’t communicate verbally with our fellow players. We have to use our gut instincts and judgement. Oh…and don’t forget the primal communication methods of make faces and hand gestures.

Mostly the game is using your survival and time management skills to get somewhere in one piece if possible and on time! A lot of days I just breathe a sigh of relief at the getting to my goal without damage to me or Silver Sweet (my trusty Camry).  But! I’ve identified a couple more games in the mix,

The first game I noticed is ‘Tetris with Cars.’ Remember the grand old game moving rectangles as they fell to match colors so you could clear the board. Well the first time I saw it I was coming over an overpass, and watched one silver car slide sideways between two silver cars in front of me. Since I have a silver car I thought to me-self. Wow if this was Tetris, we would clear four blocks! And ‘Tetris with Cars’ was born!

Now, I see the game in action more often than not. Sometimes on really special days I see cars that hop from lane to lane between cars, doing that special sideways move, you can only learn with years of practice. This is one game I can play myself but, I don’t try to Tetris move all five lanes. That’s a little advanced for me! It takes a special daredevil to handle that many Tetris moves five times in a row. And of course, I wouldn’t want to show off my more than thirty years of driving skills.

Remember, if you are going to try this with your precious vehicle, your timing and speed have to match the cars you sliding in-between! Fast enough for the car behind you and slow enough for the car in front. Be wise, be respectful, and please be safe! I want you to have fun but, I want you to come back here too.

Last week I noticed a small white sedan approach quickly behind me. Now I’m no slouch in the speed department. I have enough speeding tickets to prove it. So, I knew this person was in the eighty mile an hour plus range. They swung around me swooping to my right then back into my lane then to the left lane in an almost perfect arc to gracefully pass the person front of me. I watched as best I could as the driver performed the same beautiful and frankly scary arcs around three more cars until he was out of my sight. He swung to the left then to the right to the right again in a wonderfully terrifying game of Interstate Slalom. This one I wouldn’t dare try. I love my Silver Sweet too much and I’m a klutz. I would end up in bumper cars! And we all have seen what a mess that makes on an Interstate!

Drive safe and enjoy the ride! (I will!)

Milly