Rude Awakenings - Part I

Signs. It could be the steaming dish that the waiter is carrying past you to the family seated at the next table just as you are about to place your order and despite knowing that behind the absolutely sinful aroma lies a combination of devastating spices that will turn your insides out in 12 hours, you still go ahead and order the same dish anyways. And then you pray. It could be that lingering look that you get from the pretty girl sitting next to you on the first day of college and before you know it, you've spent 30 years together and it’s time to send your kid to her first day of college. And while nervousness is in the air, you secretly hope that she finds Mr. Right just as your wife did.


It could be that pair of jeans that just seems to shout out 'Pick me! Pick me!' at a sale and while you don’t really need it you go ahead and buy it anyway. And then it becomes your favourite pair of jeans to the extent that you tell all your friends that you have many pairs in almost the same colour, lest they suspect that you wear the same pair of jeans over and over and over again.

The thing is, I’m not good with signs. But things have transpired recently and even someone as significantly signically challenged as me, has had to sit up and take notice. First things first, of all the things we take in life for granted, it is ironically life itself that we take for granted the most. A few days ago, my boss and I were in my car waiting for the signal to turn green at a busy junction (stationary for at least 45 seconds) when BAM! we get hit by a cab from behind. And by hit, I don’t mean nudged or bumped. Precious (yes I do call my car Precious, live with it) really got whacked by a moving cab that somehow managed to rear end my stationary car despite there being an empty lane to the right. The whiplash was severe enough to ensure I had some serious neck pain for the next couple of days and cause me to think about life as I know it. Annoyingly everyone was concerned about Precious and not one single person asked me if I was fine. I’m trying to live with it.


Unfortunately this is the second time, this has happened to me and I’m starting to get a little worried. A month or so ago, we were in a Chrysler 300C when we were rear ended by a moron who wasn’t paying attention to the road. Americans and their road habits. And people tell me biking is not safe....