Angela Passidomo Trafford: Bad traffic offers chance to get some good karma

As I carefully maneuvered my car out of my narrow garage onto the road, I was surprised to see a long line of cars waiting in line for me to back out onto the street. At the front of this waiting line was the sanitary engineer's truck. He was holding up traffic so I could safely get out of the driveway.

I was so gratified at this gesture of kindness I'm sure my face lit up, too, and as I waved to thank him, he waved back as well, a big smile on his face. The whole interaction felt supremely endearing and it actually made my day.

Such a small thing, you would say, but in the larger scheme of things something grand. Two human beings connecting in a gesture of mutual kindness is such an unexpectedly wonderful thing. It seems that most of the feel-good experiences of our lives occur when we are not expecting anything and just living courteously in the moment with enough largesse of heart to respect the feelings of others, not so common an event these days.

Life recycles itself when you are growing, and seems to recycle for me at nine- or 10-year intervals. The whole experience caused me to recall another adventure in car stories, which happened about 10 years ago, when I drove a battered old Firebird that was on its last legs and whose windows were actually hot-wired to go up and down. Anyway, before the whole car went up in smoke, I had a few incredible journeys that were memorable.

The moment I am bringing back is when I was riding home in stop-and-go traffic that, as I wended my trusty steed toward the heart of the problem, proved to be caused by a large tractor stuck at a snail's pace in the left lane. Each car that had the opportunity to pass him would just zoom out at breakneck speed, leaving the rest of the enraged honking line of traffic to do the same. It was every man for himself.

When it came my turn, I did the unexpected and stayed in the right lane, motioning for the tractor driver to get in front of me. He gratefully did so, waving his thanks, when it suddenly occurred to me that now I, too, would be stuck behind him maybe for eternity. But my good Samaritan move did not go unrewarded. Immediately, the message spread unconsciously to other drivers and before I could blink, another driver in the left lane had seen my predicament and slowed down, holding the entire traffic jam in back of him and waving for me to move up front and pass him. I gratefully did so and sped my Firebird up toward the head of the line and beyond. We were all smiling and waving to one another in one of the greatest feel-good heroic successful driving moments of all time.

I still remember it and the lesson I learned, "the last shall be first," or something like that. These surprising moments of kindness that happen when we just let go and become an active participant in the human experience become some of the highlights you can share with your children and others who are interested in the more human aspects of living. These feelings warm your heart every now and again, which is always a good and healing thing. They are simple moments that tell a great story -- the story of your life.

Love is an expression of consciousness, the light of which travels from your own heart and soul to your fellow man instantaneously. When you express love in your actions and feelings it means self-healing, not only for yourself but also for your universal brothers and sisters. It is magic.

The lotus flower, a symbol of enlightenment, reveals its radiant light, its roots dangling in mud, swamp or crystal-clear water. You can pluck a blossom of insight from the tree of life at any moment you emerge from the inner dialogue inside your head into awareness and emotional presence. If you want to, you can even spot the lotus flower and absorb its feeling of calm serenity in a traffic jam.

Angela Passidomo Trafford, author of "The Heroic Path" and "Remembering the Language of God," is a spiritual teacher who resides in Naples. You may contact her with questions or comments at her e-mail address aptrafford@aol.com ; at her Web site www.self-healing.net; or write to her in care of the Naples Daily News.