I have to cross Six Span Bridge at least once a day. It’s been narrowed to two lanes for quite a while now, but for some reason about a month ago traffic slowed way down, especially at going-to-work and coming-home times. My drive takes ten minutes longer because of it.

Add to this the work on State Road 15 and U.S. 20 and a few other construction sites, and some days feel like we’re in some kind of giant labyrinth. “You can’t get there from here” is nearly true. We know we’re looking at years of this before it’s done, too.

Of course we need the upgrades in our infrastructure. In the long run, it’ll be better. Beyond that, what other positives lurk behind the inconvenience?

• Sitting in stop-and-go traffic is a great opportunity to practice patience.
• Trying to arrive on time has shown me holes in my self-discipline, which means I can take steps to improve.
• When I crawl across Six Span Bridge, I can’t help but think, “Look at all these people with jobs.”
• We need seven lanes on a bridge and better traffic flow through highway intersections only because lots of people still see good reasons to live and work here.
• Since I drive alone, I have extra time to think or de-stress.
• If you have a drive-time companion, you have extra time to chat.
• Two words: recorded books.
• Over and over, people are paying kindness forward – letting other vehicles enter the line of traffic from a side road. Maybe the civility habit will spread.
• The proverbial “they” say that changing up your life in some way nurtures creativity. Who knows what kind of brilliant ideas will be hatched as we problem-solve our way over county roads?

I’ll see you on the road, and when we pass, if I’m singing along to the radio, just smile. Onward.

Carol Willis is a freelance writer and editor. Her business, Woodside LLC, specializes in written communications for businesses and nonprofits and other editorial projects.