I’ve driven a lot of miles for jobs that I’ve held. In a past position, I averaged over 30,000 miles a year. My current position, I don’t travel that many miles but I end up driving in many of the major metropolitan areas. Because I need something to do, I play the game – who is the driver? Based on their driving habits, speed, dumb things they do – who is the driver?

Early 20’s female, 80 year old man, soccer mom, teenage boy. I’ve become pretty proficient on guessing the gender and approximate age by people’s driving behaviors. Some are quite easy. Weaving in and out of traffic and high speed, likely a young male. Van with window stickers, driving cautious, it’s a thirties mom. Drifting lanes, turning out of the wrong lane, driving 20 mph under speed limit, likely a person with some miles on their age.

After my last driving game excursion, what I realized is that I actually tend to remember the ones where I’m correct and tend to gloss over the ones where I missed the mark. I’m actually probably better at selective memory.

Interestingly, in my own life, I tend to remember the times where I made a mistake or dropped an inappropriate comment or failed in something. I can remember with vivid detail, embarrassing situations from long ago.

Why is it in our own lives we focus on the negative and brush by the positive? Why can’t we accept that we’re more than our faults? When do we allow ourselves to move on?

I’m trying to remember the best and be more selective and gloss over my inadequacies. I hope that I can be more forgiving of myself and others —- unless you don’t use your blinker.