A local man who entered the holiday season with a renewed commitment to kindness, patience, and emotional growth was forced to reconsider that pledge Tuesday afternoon while navigating traffic near Lakeside Mall in the utopia that is Metairie.
According to sources, the man had begun the day optimistic, describing this year as “different” and citing the holidays as a “good reset,” vowing to remain calm and more understanding in situations that would normally test him.
That resolve reportedly weakened shortly after encountering a cluster of vehicles traveling at incompatible speeds, some signaling intentions that would never be acted upon.
Witnesses say the man initially appeared to breathe through the situation, briefly closing his eyes at the light and resting his forehead against the steering wheel, before watching multiple drivers come to a full stop in active traffic lanes.
“That’s when it shifted,” said a nearby motorist who wished to remain anonymous after acknowledging a possible role in the man’s deteriorating demeanor. “The hands went up. You could tell he started bargaining with himself.”
The man was later observed gripping the steering wheel, questioning the collective decision-making of everyone around him, and making several hand gestures that experts confirm were not part of his original holiday plan.
By the time he cleared the area, those nearby say the man had abandoned several earlier principles, including seasonal goodwill, benefit of the doubt, and the belief that yelling inside a closed vehicle does not count as yelling, though he reportedly maintains hope that some of it may return after the New Year.
Sources say the man now plans to revisit his commitment to personal growth as part of his New Year’s resolutions.