Last night was like any other night.
After a day at the office I got into my car and drove home. I got on the the Mass Pike near Copley Square and 100 yards later a SUV from the left lane came across two lanes hit me on the left side and drove me into the wall of the underpass.
The driver of the SUV came out of her car and said “what the hell were you thinking?!”
That wasn’t the exact response I was expecting but I was still trying to get my bearings. So I said, “I’m not sure what you are talking about. I just entered the highway when you came across a few lanes and nailed me”.
She then went on to say how she saw a dark blue car (mine is black) cut her off and she was forced to make a sharp left turn to avoid hitting that car. By the time the police arrived, the owner of the “blue car” actually called into the state police and took responsibility for causing the accident.
After all of this was cleared up the SUV owner apologized and thanked me for staying so calm throughout the whole thing. I said no worries, glad she was okay and I was okay. She was clearly upset and shaken by the whole thing and in many ways I don’t blame her.
* * *
As the tow truck brought me and my car home I was thinking about people I know that forget to ask first and started spouting off statements as if they are fact without inquiring first. A classic example are folks that judge consumer products without trying them first. I don’t get that move at all.
Another example could be a board member that comes to a meeting with a point of view before getting the update from management. Or it comes from an employee that is annoyed with company decisions but never took the time to understand the rationale behind the decision.
So, as I looked at my broken car in the driveway this morning I am reminded a) be thankful and b) ask questions first before rushing to judgement