My way or the highway.

The human brain. Centuries of innovation, inspiration, and invention, and we don't know shit about our own brains. But I know this: no two are alike. How else to explain the phenomenon that the same brain in two different bodies can come up with two vastly different conclusions given the same circumstances. And no I am not talking about Abbey Normal and Igor (pronounced Eye-gore) from Young Frankenstein. Recent events, both large and small, have got my own brain thinking, and this can be very dangerous.

Scenario #1: frustrated drivers enduring unbearable traffic in rush our. Two lanes merging, marked signs clearly visible. One driver decides that because he is not in the fastest lane it is acceptable to block both lanes with his car. This creates more frustration, which leads to road rage, which leads to involuntary manslaughter, which in turn leads to a lengthy prison sentence and a new friendship with a 300 pound man names Wolf. Luckily for the rest of us, a miracle happens and a cop witnesses the event. The result: cop gives a heated verbal tongue lashing to entitled driver who clearly can't tell what lane he wants to be in. But the brain. Why does his say it's ok to break the law to see his own version of justice served, while other drivers (possibly including yours truly) see the faster moving lane and choose to follow it to the end where sane minds blend their cars seamlessly like a zipper? (Excluding, of course, those who feel that taking turns at a merge is akin to worshiping the devil and will spit their last breath trying to keep the rest of us out).

Scenario #2: frustrated voters reject a career liar for a career narcissist as our next president. Some of us vote for her. Some of us vote for him. Some of us vote for the next best option, neither one. Some brains feel it is ok to ignore decades of warning signs that indicate there is something brewing under the surface, so cold, so calculating, so inherently self serving, that an elevation to the highest post would mean the end of all life as we know it. While some brains feel it is ok to ignore decades of warning signs that the scum on the surface of the pond isn't just a transparent layer of filth, but an indication of a deep seeded inadequacy to hold higher office. While some brains still see the third option as an excuse to say "I didn't vote for either one." Group number one wakes up in the morning and seeks new ways to insult group number two. Group number two wakes up in the morning and ponders how to keep justifying their vote while thumbing their nose at group number one. And all the while group number three gets a good night sleep and buys tickets to the circus again that day, sitting back and laughing at the carnage created by groups one and two.

Yes I know the answer. It's how we were raised. Whether by our families, or by the streets, or by a culture. Some of our minds are molded from day one to conform to a reality that our way is the only way. While others are taught that it is ok to belong to one group, as long as you respected the ideals of others. And there is the word I was looking for. Respect. This is the bedrock of an inclusive and diverse society. But where is the respect these days? Certainly not from raging mobs of partisan citizens who see their side as the only one. And not from angry drivers who feel that their lane is the correct one to be in. Voters, politicians, and yes even drivers, there is no respect for an opinion that doesn't mirror our own. THAT will be the downfall of society. Not global warming. Not healthcare. Not even the devil himself Donald Trump.