Every Which Way

This ball of fish brought back to mind driving in Italy last week. Yes, there were too many vehicles in too little space, and yes, they were going in every which direction - BUT they were all incredibly courteous. No one ever honked a horn at me and I was NEVER cut off, instead others would make room for my car no matter what. I admit I was on edge while driving, because as an American I'm used to huge margins of safety. Here in the U.S. there is always enough leeway so that I can drink a beverage, talk on my cell phone, and generally not pay attention while driving. Over there I had to be on constant alert, yet somehow I felt safer. Other drivers were civil (the root of the word Civilization) and I never felt threatened. Road rage? It did not seem to exist. Hopefully I will remember the experience and bring some kindness to my driving over here...