the world of ??whys??


The world is rife with "why's," most of them simply too large and overwhelming to contain easy answers, if any at all - why is there suffering in this world? why do bad things happen to good people (and vice versa)? why is the sky blue (okay, there's probably some scientific explanation for that one, but a scientist I am not, so that one falls into bigger hands/minds than my own).
But everyday, we all encounter a myriad of little "why's," the kind we are certain have answers or could be satisfactorily redressed. These are the ones that really stick in your craw, because deep down you sense that : 1) it's simply Murphy's Law inserting its frustrating self into the minutiae of your daily life; or 2) the matter simply wouldn't exist, if only the rest of the world possessed your obviously elevated level of common sense.
So, all that being said, this column is dedicated to just those very "why's" - maybe not earth-shattering, nor of global relevance, but clearly impacting as we go about our own daily lives - the little glitches for all us cogs that are simply part of the bigger picture. These little things comprise our own personal bigger pictures, and I am convinced are at the heart of bigger issues - road rage, general rudeness, random acts of kindness, etc., etc. And in that reciprocal sense, maybe they are bigger than they seem, more than just pet peeves or petty annoyances.
So to get the thread rolling, I've come up with a few of my own choice "why's" - feel free to add your own, and if you have answers or at least a darn good or amusing theory, I'd love to hear it.

Wednesday, September 5, 2007

"The pull-through"

I own a stick shift car. Sometimes it slides easily into reverse. But there are many times when Josie (yes, I have named my car - before her there was Dot, and no, it ain't just a silly girl thing - note cultural reference - "STELLA!!!") likes to make me work for it. I can sit and try multiple times - push knob down, move stick up and to the left - only to have it snap into first.
"Josie why do you hate me? Don't be like that, " I'll say -- and let me digress to add, thank God for the age of cell phones, because now as I sit there alone in my car, obviously having some sort of conversation, at least the driver pulled up next to me can assume I am actually speaking to a person via some cellular device, instead of just talking to myself like a complete nut....although I'm not actually talking to myself, I'm talking to my car, which may be either better or worse.. Is it crazier to talk to yourself or an inanimate mechanical object?
Anyway, to return to the whole point of this post, I needless to say get a little jolt whenever I exit the store to find that the car parked in front of me has left, and I get...."the pull-through." No fighting to shift into reverse, no making 2 shift maneuvers to get going, just a clear, one-stop motion and I'm on to my next destination. Inevitably, as I am loading my bags into the car, I glance up and see it - that car - it's coming, it's looking for a spot, and I just know that I am about to be denied my "pull-through." It doesn't always happen, but I would estimate a good 9 times out of 10 I find myself sliding behind the wheel, muttering to myself, "denied AGAIN!"
So the question is, why? Why can't I have just this little tiny convenience come my way a bit more often? How is it that I time my errands to the exact moment when I see that I may have a bit of luck only to see it inevitably fall from my grasp? Couldn't I have just either gone down one more aisle, so I wouldn't KNOW I was denied, or one less aisle, so that I get out before that car rolls in? It's almost like fate is teasing me. And I just have to ask, why?
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