While stopped in a parking lot the other day I saw the driver in the car ahead of me go into a fit of anger. His anger seemed to be inspired by the driver ahead of him, who was backing out of a parking space and blocking his way. He was waving his fists and screaming in frustration, obviously upset by the delay.

Once we all moved on, I reflected on the man's frustration. I wondered what was going on in his life that such a minor incident caused him to display that amount of anger? Surely it couldn't have been the brief delay. Underlying that must have been a seething pool of frustration to cause such an eruption over something so minor.

I was reminded of earlier years when I had a similar amount of frustration. Before I got sober such frustration was understandable because my life was insane. But in the early years of my sobriety I was also in a hurry and experienced a lot of frustration when things didn't go my way.

But I learned things in those early days that slowed me down. I once came to a meeting expressing anger over traffic delays I had experienced trying to arrive on time. My sponsor, who had the ability to hurt my feelings with a few simple pointed words, said something that I've never forgotten.

"I learned a long time ago," he said, when it was his turn to share, "that I can only drive one car at a time."

Now I had two things to be angry about. The first was all that traffic on the way to the meeting. And the second was my sponsor's remark, one that I knew was meant for me. However, it was an effective lesson, one I keep with me to this day.

Today I avoid most frustration by doing a 10th step as I move through my day. That way garbage doesn't build up in my life.