I'm A Bad Driver

Well, at least I can admit it! I got a speeding ticket about two weeks ago. I was in a rush to get home in the morning to start school with the girls. When the officer pulled me over I said, "I know I was speeding. I need to be home in three minutes. Can you make this quick?" Four minutes later, I was on my way heading east on Sierra Madre Blvd. towards Michillinda to go home.Ugh. I still haven't gotten the official ticket to know how much it's going to cost. It'll be expensive. I haven't told Tim yet. Another ugh.
     My biggest problem is that I drive too fast. My neighbor told me several months ago to slow down because of all the kids that play in our street. He was right. I'm trying, but sometimes I forget. While driving home on Grandview St., a lady stopped at a stop sign motioned for me to slow down. She was right, too. All these admonishments are warnings for me to slow down. I feel rather embarrassed when I'm corrected because I know they're all right. And the speeding tickets are so expensive. I won't even blog about Tim's thoughts and words regarding my driving. Think: ULTIMATE BACK-SEAT DRIVER TO THE OUTERMOST EXTREME LIMITS OF TOLERABILITY.  I NEVER EVER EVER drive while Tim is in the car. I have actually stopped the car in the middle of the street so that Tim can take over driving. 
     Anyway, it's just sooooo hard to drive slowly. Not only do I have lots and lots of things to do everyday, I usually have several kids at home that I'm rushing home to make sure that they haven't set the house on fire, clogged the toilet to overflowing with toilet paper, let Julia wander out into the street like she has a persistent propensity to do, or pull each others hair out over the last Tootsie Roll they happened upon under the refrigerator from last Halloween's candy supply. Uh-huh. You get the picture.
     Another problem about speeding plagues me: I'm just a fast-moving, energetic, hyper-speed kind of person. I really can't help it. When I'm fairly well-rested, there's no stopping me! I talk fast (and a lot, I know), write fast, do the dishes fast, cook and clean quickly, read fast, even change diapers fast. (That's a good thing, too, because, boy, does Julia squawk when she's being changed!) Also, I write so fast that I have a hard time handwriting anything because my hand can't neatly and legibly keep up with my thoughts. This quality of mine generally serves me well, though, except while driving.
     In truth, however, I used to drive my parents nuts. Whenever they saw me eat sugar in particular, they would look at each other and roll their eyes. They knew I would be particularly spastic for several hours after the dreaded consumption of sugar. So, when I observe my busiest girl, Chloe, in all her hyperactive glory, I  know that she will be able to accomplish great things in the future with all of her energy. Sometimes she almost drives me into the ground, though! I realize where her energy comes from. (Throat-clearing here)

     One disadvantage to this high energy personality that I have is that I can easily overwhelm people. Think: calm, even-keeled, mild-mannered, and just really low-energy people find me either 1)overwhelming and anxiety-producing, 2)entertaining, so they laugh at me! or 3)I don't quite know-but they avoid me in grocery stores, parks, libraries...Well, not really. I just thought that they might and I just haven't really noticed it. (Six kids keeps me very distracted while out in public much of the time.) When I meet people who are overwhelmed by my personality I feel very self-conscious. I find myself trying to talk s-l-o-w-e-r and be less emotive. This is almost excruciating, but I try for their sake and mine. I can really feel like an idiot around these calm people. So, I LOVE people who are like me. I love high energy, fun-loving, hearty- laughing, fast-talking people! LOVE THEM! They understand me! They appreciate me! I don't have to be "self-monitoring" around them and they don't have to be that way around me!  Yoo hoo! Of course, I have many mild-mannered friends that I absolutely adore, too. You know who you are. 
      The other problem I have with driving and speed is that I, well, I - ok- this is really hard to admit. I tailgate! I know it's terrible! I'm just driving too fast, needing to get somewhere ON TIME (because that's usually important to me), and other people just drive too slow! Really people, just a little faster?! Oh, but there are my bad, impatient habits coming out. I've also been know to utter a few  -unsavory- (I like that term better) names at drivers. The worst part is that my children hear me and that's really not good. Really, really not good.So, it's imperative that I work on my driving habits. Consider this post an open invitation to ask me if I've been keeping my driving speed down. Just don't ask me when I'm rushing out the door on my way to somewhere important. Old habits die hard. Ugh.