I Found the Secret to Happiness

The frantic daytime hustle-bustle of the city streets was gone, giving way to the almost-quiet of night.

The city is never quiet, but for a city girl like me, the absence of blaring horns, bumper-to-bumper stress, brave pedestrians jay-walking between cars – to me, that’s quiet.

And as I drove, I looked around me, I looked inside me, and it hit me: the secret to happiness.

It’s simple, really, and I don’t know if you’ll all agree with me, but I had some time to think about it then, on my careful way home, and I’m pretty sure this is really it.

You see, it always bothered me how we city people never have a moment to breathe. How, when I went to West Virginia for a short vacation, I was actually amazed that people wanted to talk to me at the gas station. How I don’t know my neighbor’s first name, but I know the entire life story of a woman I happened to meet in New Hampshire.

But mostly, it bothered me that city driving is always a frantic and tense dog-eat-dog rat race event, while driving through farmlands and mountainsides is but another pleasant part of our stay.

And last night, I was done with it. I was done with city life – not done enough to leave my job, yet, but done enough to leave the race.

And so I took a deep breath, checked for a speed limit sign, and slowly eased my right foot off the gas.

The results were instant.

I noticed the pretty homes, saw the inky black sky, felt my muscles loosen up and let my hair out to the wind.

And I started to think about my day, about myself, about where I’m really going. And why it’s always such a rush.

Does it really matter if I get there thirty seconds earlier? Will it hurt me to let that one driver go ahead? What will happen if I miss this light, and have to sit for an extra two minutes before heading on my way again?

And then I thought, what was life like in the old days, before cars? Before this desperate rush of I-am-late-and-it’s-your-fault-so-move-out-of-my-way-now-or-else?

What was it like, sitting in the back of the wagon with your mother and sister, going to the market in the next town but not really going – just being? What was it like to know that you have miles and miles ahead and there’s plenty of time, that all you need to do now is live the moment? What was it like to not hate every other person on the road just for being there?

Yes, I am totally convinced.

The secret to happiness is driving ten miles under the speed limit.

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