The Body Is Like Traffic

I love Atlanta, but I could do fine without the traffic. Recently I was stuck in a not-so-uncommon traffic jam. Rather than succumbing to complete frustration, I used this extra “alone time” for productive thinking. Interestingly, I discovered a lot of parallels between traffic behavior and the inner workings of our bodies.

How often have you been in a long line of bumper-to-bumper cars only to find nothing more than an accident on the other side of the highway as the cause of the slow-down? As resilient as our bodies are, occasionally one seemingly small event can lead to a dramatic and unpredictable outcome. Examples include one misstep off the curb, a little scrape of the skin, a missed dose of a medication, or a poorly planned alcoholic beverage.

As it is often said, the little things in life matter. This concept applies to much more than traffic and human physiology. Small actions can have an exponential influence on the economy, politics, pollution, and most importantly – the affection of our loved ones.