Bumper Cars

Do you remember riding on the bumper cars?

Did you choose the one sitting off by itself so you could get an easy start or one in the middle of a piled up mess that would require some maneuvering?

Either way, at the beginning, as the ride came to life everyone would plot their path.

Some went straight for the easy hit bumping up alongside the car next to them.

Some tried carefully to not be hit at all perhaps by staying towards the middle or the outside edge.

Still others sat still in fear hoping they’d be safe and were completely shocked when they were slammed from behind forcing their car into the one in front.

And of course, there were those who took careful aim, stepped heavily on the pedal and slammed into a chosen person also on the ride.

I think we are like bumper cars.

I think that we all use different strategies at different times in our lives – sometimes trying to keep ourselves safe and avoiding contact at all, sometimes sitting still in fear and sometimes taking careful aim at someone who has wronged us.

And sometimes we innocently bump up against each other not causing much harm or damage.

And sometimes we are hit so hard by someone that we can’t help ramming up against another – perhaps innocent – person.

The thing about the bumper car ride is that it doesn’t need to harm or hurt – after all, the cars could simply drive at pace with one another all driving in the same direction.

But it does hurt.

Sometimes with words. Sometimes with our presence. Sometimes by our absence.

It does harm.

On occasion bumping up against each can bring us joy – the joy of surprise and of fun, but just as often we are caught guard and find our body preparing for yet another impact.

So we protect ourselves either by hiding out, by trying to cause only a little harm so that others may have the same consideration, or by taking careful aim and hurting others before they hurt us.

Maybe we should all get out of our cars and go back to navigating the world with only our bodies for protection – with only bodies to come in contact with others.

Maybe then we would stop ramming, harming, hurting, ignoring, aiming and start connecting, talking, touching, healing and enjoying this one life we have to live.