leavin'....

...home this morning at 4:00 a.m. to get to TN by 9 o'clock. Which put me just getting to the intersection/merging part of I-85 running into the perimeter around Atlanta at 5:13 a.m. Interestingly, it was not nearly as stressful as usual.  I generally find myself becoming hyper anxious, turning off the radio/talking book, ending all distractions. Deliberately focusing on traffic, land-changes, observing other vehicles, watching the lighted informational signs. Being hyper vigilant.

As I passed under that sign that pointed: this way to downtown Atlanta and this way to Birmingham and Chattanooga, at 5:13, I was surprised the traffic was not awful. Wondering if there was holiday no one had told me about. Thinking there was some sort of national celebration I was missing out on  .But then realized it was nearly two hours earlier than my usual time for getting into the thick of traffic. I'd left home so early, that the chaos that usually occurs when thousands of cars merging into traffic heading north were still silently, quietly waiting for owners to awaken. Those people who head into the city to work early each morning were not even out of bed when I was merging on to I-285.

I'd set my alarm for the ungodly hour of 3 o'clock, to insure I would be on the road heading north by 4:00. When it alarmed, I had to wonder to myself: what was I thinking. All I had to do was put on my clothes and brush teeth, get in the car and go. So I reset the alarm for 3:30 and went back to sleep about thirty seconds before it went off again. But did get up and properly attired, on my way before 4.  Demonstrating that if you can motivate to get up and underway early enough, you really can avoid the most worst of the dreaded snarling, speeding city traffic.

As I get close to that point, nearing the intersection of 'Bedlam and Chaos', I grit my teeth and start thinking: "Not for the faint hearted." Certainly "not for the meek", who are supposed to inherit the earth. "No place here for the mild-mannered" unassuming, non-aggressive soul who hopes to walk through the fire unscathed. Bite it and charge right in.