Monday, January 19, 2009
Giggles and Car Crashes
On Sunday, I took a promotion test at my tae kwon do dojang; given that I'd be there until 1:30 and given that the Whole Foods at which I shop becomes, by noon, so swarmed with yuppies that a plague of locusts looks like the dance floor during a party for 7th graders, I decided that I would do my grocery shopping before the test.
It was snowing all morning and even though the snow plows had been out for several hours by the time I left for the grocery store, there hadn't been enough traffic to grind the snow and slush into the ineffectual thick, gray liquid that all urban snow eventually becomes, much like how even the finest meal becomes a log of shit that you squeeze out your anus.
I was well on my way to the store when I realized that this was traditionally the type of thing I avoided. Under normal circumstances, I would've stayed off the roads until the plows had done their business, maybe even to the next day just to be safe; as it were, I slid a few times and my brakes locked up once as I tried to slow at a stop light.
In short, I was able to go out and accomplish something, something small, granted, but something that I would've normally avoided because of one simple thing: I forgot to be anxious about it. I didn't debate it with myself, not even when I had my first skid. I decided that X would be the best thing for me to do so I went out and did it without falling falling prey to my normal anxieties.
I didn't intellectually work through the anxieties (though I'm sure that was part of it), I didn't get angry at myself and have a dialogue about confronting my fears about driving on the snow. I just went out and did it.
The funny thing is that I was mentally writing this post after I dropped off my groceries and was headed towards the tae kwon do school, ruminating about how this act of just going out and doing something was symbolic of some conquering of fears, some personal development, when I tried to stop at a red light. My brakes locked and I went skidding through the intersection, blaring my horn to let people know I was coming. Fortunately, there was no accident or even close call.
So, lessons from this: 1) not concentrating on things can be a good way to get them done and b) not concentrating on congratulating yourself for not concentrating is an excellent way to avoid a car crash.
It was snowing all morning and even though the snow plows had been out for several hours by the time I left for the grocery store, there hadn't been enough traffic to grind the snow and slush into the ineffectual thick, gray liquid that all urban snow eventually becomes, much like how even the finest meal becomes a log of shit that you squeeze out your anus.
I was well on my way to the store when I realized that this was traditionally the type of thing I avoided. Under normal circumstances, I would've stayed off the roads until the plows had done their business, maybe even to the next day just to be safe; as it were, I slid a few times and my brakes locked up once as I tried to slow at a stop light.
In short, I was able to go out and accomplish something, something small, granted, but something that I would've normally avoided because of one simple thing: I forgot to be anxious about it. I didn't debate it with myself, not even when I had my first skid. I decided that X would be the best thing for me to do so I went out and did it without falling falling prey to my normal anxieties.
I didn't intellectually work through the anxieties (though I'm sure that was part of it), I didn't get angry at myself and have a dialogue about confronting my fears about driving on the snow. I just went out and did it.
The funny thing is that I was mentally writing this post after I dropped off my groceries and was headed towards the tae kwon do school, ruminating about how this act of just going out and doing something was symbolic of some conquering of fears, some personal development, when I tried to stop at a red light. My brakes locked and I went skidding through the intersection, blaring my horn to let people know I was coming. Fortunately, there was no accident or even close call.
So, lessons from this: 1) not concentrating on things can be a good way to get them done and b) not concentrating on congratulating yourself for not concentrating is an excellent way to avoid a car crash.
Comments:
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Congratulations on acting without thinking, you are well on your way to becoming a vessel of the Tao. I would insist that you drive more and more and more in fresh snow. You need the practice! There is absolutely no reason you should ever skid, especially not through an intersection. First, it is almost impossible to lock-up ABS brakes, even on heavy snow. You have to seriously crush the pedal to have that effect and even then the car will shudder violently letting you know you are doing something wrong. Second, when you first get on the snow, a few hard test taps of the brakes and a few fast accelerations to induce skid and tire-spin should tell you all you need to know about the conditions so that you can operate the vehicle within safe limits. Third, if you are uncertain about the conditions and how to handle them, I think taking it very slow is the best approach. Always engine-brake and brake gently long before you would otherwise need to. Stopping distances on fresh snow can be 11 times longer than normal conditions. If you can't change your approach to driving, then you should stay at home when the conditions are less than perfect. We risk our lives and, more importantly, the lives of others if we do not approach with grave seriousness the operation motor vehicles. I'm glad you didn't have an accident. The universe was with you!
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