Rock the Commute

I left early for work Tuesday morning. It was raining and I figured that traffic would be moving slower than usual. Actually, I assumed it would be moving at it's normal rate seeing as it rains most days here in Oregon, but not at the accelerated summertime pace I've grown used to in recent sunny days.



I was minding my own business, traveling discreetly along the 5 and listening intently to NPR, when suddenly brake lights overtook the horizon.

Traffic was expected, but what proceeded was impossible to predict and completely ridiculous. I often hear complaints about stop and go traffic; however, there was absolutely no "go" in this jam, only countless minutes in park and fleeting moments of a once sane life.

Realizing that I would never make it to my beloved coffee stand on the top floor, the one with all the different flavor shots and the mocha pump that from time to time explodes on innocent victims, I became deeply heartbroken and overwhelmingly sleepy. No time for coffee meant, of course, no time at all. And so, I had to phone my boss for a brief apology and explanation, as did half of my coworkers, all rushing in hours late.

On the road our lives and our time are left in the hands of other drivers, which is quite a frightening thought. Add the frequency of text messaging, cd changing, ipod song searching, coffee drinking, other typical idiotic behavior, and I am bewildered as to how we survive at all.

In my car I sat, amazed by my continued existence under the trying circumstances of a daily commute, resigned to my helplessness as I gazed over the angry fleet of automobiles idly mounted between me and my destination. There, behind a red Honda Civic for far too long, I realized that the only solution to traffic is to simply embrace the sanctuary of your vehicle and indulge in the ownership of a small containment of space.

So take the time you are trapped, transform frustration to amusement, and rock out so that all can hear. The excruciatingly depressing and blank gazes of the usual commuter will melt to joy (or at least awaken) as we join the movement to Rock the Commute. I am serious and fully expect real changes, globally, if we all commit to the mission. Let's bring a little light to the drive, and to our fellow drivers, via music.

As Memorial Day approaches (and you undoubtedly face traffic at some point in these busy travel days), here's a sanity savior for roadsters around the country wherever you may be driving. The following is a starter list to promote our cause; a playlist of hits to make your traffic time not only bearable, but incredible. You'll be hoping they close two lanes of the highway every morning.

1. Paper Planes (M.I.A.)

2. Just Like Heaven (The Cure)
3. Seventeen Years (Ratatat)
4. What A Wonderful Man (My Morning Jacket)
5. I'm So Free (Lou Reed)
6. Lover (Devendra Banhart)
7. The Skin of My Yellow Country Teeth (Clap Your Hands Say Yeah)
8. Free Fallin' (Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers)

9. Sound of Silver (LCD Soundsystem)
10. I'm a Cuckoo (Belle & Sebastian)
11. Them Eyes (The Black Keys)
12. D.A.N.C.E. (Justice)

I fully encourage expressive and ridiculous dance when listening to the above list. Especially if you use public transportation, work it. Rock the Commute!