Rearview Mirrors as a Way of Looking Forward
In 2019 my partner and I road tripped from Toronto to Tofino and back in 33 days. On September 1, I watched Toronto’s grey skyline appear through the windshield of my partner’s 2015 Jeep Sahara. Reminiscing what wasn’t even fully behind me yet, I started looking through my camera roll. I really enjoyed the couple pictures centered around our rearview mirror.
Obsession with the Road Only Just Driven on
In the land of living skies, the flat landscape’s only disturbance was the dirt being kicked up behind us. We were able to see the gas station we fuelled up at thirty minutes ago through the dust. I watched the station until it disappeared.
On highway 400 coming back into Toronto, I thought of all the things I wouldn’t enjoy in the future. All the wondrous adventures were in the rearview, meanwhile, I thought I knew what was waiting for me in Toronto.
“My work schedule this.”
“I don’t have time for that.”
“This is due then.”
Watching a dusty gas station disappear in the rearview is more enticing than approaching the city of Toronto for the same reason reading your journal entry from 2009 about wearing a matching outfit with your friend gets more rivetting over time — The farther you get from the moment, the more you see in it.
Safety
When my partner and I were hurtling forward at 130km/hour with a speedy Dodge Caravan on our tail, we were looking at the rear-view mirrors. The soccer mom overtook us on the winding Sea to Sky Highway. Our rear-view mirrors remind us that we can slow down.
We move forward anyways.
The anxiety of being chased is of a different variety than that of approaching something you know will be painful.
Rearview Mirrors as a Way to Look Forward
Until we understand what’s in our rearview and how it affects the decisions we make, we won’t be able to understand what is right in front of us.
My partner and I got into a few arguments on this trip. Some were about how long it took me to get out of the bed and others were a little more important. These moments will stay in the rearview and offer a new way of seeing.
As we look forward it’s important to keep our rearview mirror's insight to help us navigate decisions. When we see all the things we have accomplished as part of our subsequent journey, we make what’s to come less daunting.
