by D.J. Vanas

With the mountains of the Front Range watching over me like guardian soldiers, I began my journey from Colorado Springs up to Rocky Mountain National Park, about three hours away, for a speaking engagement. I put a book on CD in the stereo, the sun was shining, the weather was perfect and thankfully, the traffic was moving quickly and smoothly on the highway. All seemed right and good… and then it appeared.

Out of nowhere, a decrepit white van with mismatched hubcaps shoved its way into traffic and began a battle of epic proportions. It dodged, weaved, cut several people off and tailgated others, receiving blaring horns and a few one-finger salutes from fellow travelers. I’d watch the van accelerate to find an opening and then suddenly its tail end would lift as the driver slammed on the brakes. This impatient driver wasn’t just a pain to endure; he seemed to be an outright menace. The mysterious white van went through this agonizing routine for almost the entire hour it took to reach Denver, suffering his own obvious frustrations but also attempting to force everyone around him on the highway to suffer them as well. All this and here’s what the van accomplished – he was a mere three cars ahead of me after an hour! Read more »