Skip to main content

No Harm


What a funny little experience I had today. While backing out of a parking place in my local grocery store, another driver didn't see me and began to back up shortly after I began. We tapped back bumpers. Immediately, we both rolled forward back into our original places, got out and greeted each other. "No harm, no foul," said the gray frizzy haired woman about my age. I glanced at the back of my truck and then at her sedan. Apparently not even a mark.
"I'm glad you didn't hear what I said," she continued. Before I could respond, she leaned forward and gave me a hug; a real hug. While in this sudden embrace she continued, "This is nothing; much more important things to think about, yes a hug is good. OK." She was definitely calling the shots. Then, inspecting her car one more time, she noticed a slight tear in her tail light. "I think that happened because your bumper is higher than mine. But it's nothing to worry about." She was trying hard to convince herself. I agreed with everything she said.
We both returned to our cars. I waited. When her back-up lights went on, I waited, making sure only one of us was moving this time. She rolled slowly out of the parking lot, and out of my life forever. A hug...on Valentine's Day.

Comments

Kalirati said…
Wow. That would happen to you, Bruce. Amazing encounter.
February 16, 2008 at 6:25 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Writing on the Wall

       The first time I saw graffiti that was memorable was in a middle school bathroom.  As 6th graders I often walked home with friends by the middle school we'd soon be attending.  A stop by the boys bathroom near the boys gym placed me face to face with a piece of graffiti that immediately madame and my friends laugh uncontrollably.  On the wall above the urinals, was penned a short poem that read"                     This is a Teepee to take a pee pee,                         Not a wigwam to beat your tom tom      14 year-old humor at it's best.  The laughter my friends and I experienced was cathartic.  Being bottom of the barrel Freshmen could have dire consequences in the boys bathroom.  Those unpleasantries would come later, but for the moment, we were ecstatic and proceeded to read all the g...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Quality of Optimism

 I've returned to The Book of Qualities, by J Ruth Gentler once again to meet the needs of one of the senior students in my little Writing From Memory class I'm currently teaching in my local community center.  This little volume personifies various concepts and personality traits.  The particular student "in need" seems to be fixated on writing about her past relationships.  Apparently, there were many.   I'm OK with that.  I only hope that she picks a few qualities that are as revealing about herself as those that might describe her Ex's.  There is much to be learned by writing about a quality.  The aforementioned book seems to have survived well over the years.  I first encountered it and its author way back in the late 1970s.  I took a journal writing workshop from her.  Then, a few years later, her book came out and I introduced these writing exercises to my students.  11th grade Juniors seemed to do the best with it. ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Non-Reader

"The man hasn't read a book in years." I keep hearing that about the current occupant of the White House.  Maybe that's as it should be because recent studies say that claim goes for over half the population of this country.  Scary but true.  It's obvious that the President doesn't know the history of this country.  Examples abound. Even for those who can forgive him for inventing the African country of Nambia (he referred to that the other day) the fact that he knows very little about American History doesn't seem sway his followers.  Either they know nothing too or they simply don't care.  Probably both.  Yet, the notion of ignoring history and repeating mistakes looms large all the while. A former colleague of mine, who taught Language Arts for a lifetime used to have a large banner in her classroom. When kids came into this learning environment they saw a sign which read, "Unless We Read, We Live But One Tiny Life." I'd love to hea...
1 comment
Read more