"Well, since you put it that way"

Driving home this afternoon, I came on the one busy intersection where I often have to sit and wait. It's the last intersection before turning on to my street; it means I am nearly home once I get through it.

But it is often busy; I've sometimes had to wait through two or more light-cycles to get through.

Well, today, there was a woman in the dollar store lot that is right adjacent to the street I was on. She was in her car in the drive going out, and was angled so that it would have been logical for me to have her pull out in front of me.

But, like I said, I was kind of a way back. And I kind of groaned - it was after 5 pm, I was tired, and I said to myself, "Do I REALLY need to let this woman out of the lot in front of me?"

And then I said to myself, "To phrase it another way: do you want to be nice or do you want to be an a-hole?"

And I decided - well, even though it will slow me down a little bit, it's preferable to be nice than to be an a-hole. And the woman did look kind of tired (she had her driver's side window rolled down and I could see her face). So when the light changed, I held back, and did that horizontal wave that is sort of the common symbol for "pull in ahead of me." When she saw me, her whole face changed - she broke out in a huge smile, and stuck her left arm out her window and waved happily at me as she pulled out and headed through the intersection.

And I got through on the same light. So it cost me maybe 10 to 15 seconds. And it seems like I made her day a little bit, at least based on her reaction. And you know? I felt better and less tired than I had.

It's funny, though, how that popped into my head: "Do you want to be nice or do you want to be an a-hole?"