Car envy

Human beings are inherently selfish – that’s my opinion anyway. 

However nice a person is, their primal instinct to look after themselves and their family members can influence them more than morals and sometimes even the law.

Occasionally this is understandable even if it is wrong – however dangerous someone’s behaviour gets.  For example, I read a news report once about a man who had broken the speed limit by a significant amount, in a desperate attempt to get his wife to hospital in time for medical professionals to deliver their premature baby.

If I remember correctly, police let him off lightly because they felt for him – considering that he had been aware no ambulance would reached them in time, and that he was a panicked first-time father.

Nevertheless, in most instances thinking about yourself first and others second is not appropriate behaviour – even if you don’t act on the feelings.

At this point, I would like to admit something. I hate someone along my street – purely because I desperately want their car.

I call it car envy, and I’m not proud of it.  It makes be behave in a ridiculous way whenever I bump into them at neighbourhood events or in town.  I can only be nice for a few minutes…then things go down hill.  I keep hoping that my feelings are not noticeable to anyone other than myself.

I can imagine this poor person might be wondering what they’ve done to irritate me so much – but I know that I will only be able to stop my ludicrous and selfish behaviour when they get a different car.

I hope it happens soon – then I can buy their current one off of them.  Goodness that car is beautiful…

Photo © Craig Loftus via Flickr, under Creative Commons Licence

Labels: behaviour, car, dangerous, family, hospital, primal instinct, selfish, speed limit, street