So Traffic, So Busy
The Epidemic from Manila to Manhattan
From Manila’s so traffic to Manhattan’s so busy, these phrases reveal a global habit of using excuses to explain lateness and overwhelm. But what if we took back control of our time instead?
So Traffic
In the Philippines, traffic isn’t just a situation—it’s an identity. People don’t say, “The traffic is bad today.” They say, “So traffic.”
It’s not grammatically correct, but everyone knows what it means. Sobrang traffic. Super traffic. So traffic. Like so tired, so hungry, so stressed, except now, the streets get anthropomorphized. The traffic isn’t just slow. It’s so. And it’s always like that.
Try scheduling a 6 PM wedding dinner in Metro Manila. You won’t eat until 9. The ceremony won’t start until guests trickle in from Edsa, Macapagal, or whichever choked road they dared to brave. No one’s even mad about it anymore. The lateness is baked in. It’s expected. It’s cultural.
Like a monsoon or a blackout, “so traffic” is considered something you can’t fight. An external force. Not your fault. Not your problem. Everyone understands. And because everyone understands, no one changes.
But here’s the twist: we all do this—just with different words.
So Busy
In the U.S., people don’t say “so traffic.” They say, “so busy.”
That’s the all-encompassing explanation for why we’re late, why we cancel plans, why we haven’t called, why we forgot your birthday, or our own mental health. So busy is the American version of so traffic.
It covers every life stage:
Single and working? You’re so busy with deadlines.
Married with kids? So busy managing snacks, drop-offs, and meltdown negotiations.
Retired? Somehow still busy—maybe it’s the garden, family, or staying active.
Busy has become a badge of honor. The more overwhelmed we are, the more important we must be, right?
Wrong. Just like traffic, busyness is often a cover. Not always, but often. It hides a lack of boundaries. A lack of clarity. Sometimes even a lack of courage to say no or to say yes to what really matters.
From Excuse to Escape
Both “so traffic” and “so busy” act as a kind of emotional get-out-of-jail-free card.
They relieve us of responsibility while reinforcing a shared sense of struggle.
But they also disempower us. When the story becomes “There’s nothing I can do; it’s just traffic,” or “I wish I had time but I’m so busy,” we give up control of our own lives. We live reactively, not intentionally.
So how do we break free?
Rewriting the Narrative
Here’s a radical thought: stop normalizing lateness, burnout, and delay.
Start by owning your time.
Ask:
Am I really stuck in traffic—or did I leave too late again?
Am I really too busy—or am I just saying yes to things I don’t value?
Reframe:
“So traffic” becomes: “Next time, I’ll leave earlier.”
“So busy” becomes: “I need to reset my priorities.”
Reclaim:
One hour of your day to not be on autopilot.
One relationship you don’t flake on.
One moment of calm that isn’t earned through exhaustion.
Final Thought
The world will keep spinning. The roads in Manila may stay clogged. American work culture may keep glorifying stress.
But you? You don’t have to live under the rule of so traffic or so busy.
You can choose intention.
You can show up on time—not just to your appointments, but to your life.