During the week of Christmas I was driving down in San Diego. The traffic was very heavy and negotiating through it wasn’t easy. I looked in my rearview mirror and noticed a very good looking man in what appeared to be a really nice car. The traffic was pretty close to bumper to bumper so I wasn’t able to make out what kind of car he was driving. I’m a car watcher kind of a person. I’ve always done that but became more intrigued by cars when I heard Caroline Myss say that we “drive our self esteem.” I could tell that he was talking on his Blue Tooth and was noticing that he was pretty agitated and looked like he was yelling. Finally he found an opening and drove into the lane next to me. He was driving a new shiny Lexus. Very pretty expensive car!
I was heading down to the boarder and once I was past the Mission Valley area the traffic was much lighter. I moved to a slower lane so I could take a break from the intense traffic and begin to breathe a little. I then saw a rickety Jeep behind me. There were two people in it. They looked like an overweight couple in their 40’s. The man that was driving was wearing a Santa hat. The thing that got me was how happy they seemed. They had a lively conversation going on because I could see them looking at each other and laughing. The smiles on their faces never seemed to leave and I felt so blessed to be witnessing this! After all the man in the Lexus surely had more money and material comforts … right? So why did he appear so upset and these two people driving an old Jeep that looked like it could fall apart at any moment look so happy?
Carl Jung said: “The more a man lays stress on false possessions, and the less sensitivity he has for what is essential, the less satisfying his life is.”
I didn’t have to question which of the two cars contained the people that have more satisfying lives. But I did question the self esteem philosophy.
