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The Pain of Memories

I don't generally speak of it, but driving on the shortest Interstate between Pittsburgh and our house upsets me most times. But, it saves about 20 minutes if I'm in a hurry to get home. I need to decide between the emotional stress, the memories it triggers, and the convenience of getting home quickly. (The "quick" route is only fast when driving toward home — it is the worst imaginable path into the city.) Usually, I'll opt for the circuitous (and less stressful) drive that takes me on three different Interstates and two state routes.

The problem is, there's no way skip around the symbols (and traffic signs) that upset me if I want to go to the best grocery store, bookstores, music store, restaurants, and a good mall. So, I feel lousy getting to whatever I want to do. That's hard to explain to other people.

If I could clear my mind, and ignore the signs that upset me, that would make life more comfortable.
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  1. UnknownMay 23, 2014 at 7:07 AM

    I hate driving so much and I live in the city of Chicago. I have to drive downtown regularly and find it so stressful. I do take both side streets and the highway. They are both stressful in their own way. I can't say that signs stress me out but I can say that everything else does.

    Thank you for posting this. My son will be learning how to drive and I wonder how it will effect him.

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