Can anything that's fun and interesting happen in ten seconds?
Well I am referring to quirky everyday events that add some flavour to a day in just about ten seconds.
The best place that I know of to get your fill of events of this import imprinted on your mind is the road in a busy city. Here's a small selection of what has amused me.
Quick Bite:
A portly gentleman whom I have known for sometime now has recently upgraded from a two wheeler to a car with shaded windows. He has consulted me in the past for painful knees and I have a distinct remembrance of advising him to shed some weight. Well, it seems he leaves for work at (presumably) the same time that I go (occassionally) for my morning walk. The purpose of shaded windows is to prevent peering eyes to see what is going on inside. But that still leaves the front glass- the wind screen- for curious eyes to have their share of peeks. The other day I chanced upon this man deftly handling the steering wheel with one hand while helping himself to a generous portion of what seemed like a pizza from something in the seat next to him. At that very instant our eyes met for a fraction of a second and then he whizzed past. Heaven only knows whether he swallowed the pizza or whether he choked on it! Needless to say, I enjoyed it- the scene!
Total time: much less than 10 seconds.
Pleasure with Duty:
In my city there is a squad of traffic assistants, boys and girls just past their teens, who assist the police in directing the traffic at important junctions. They have no legal authority but most times their signals to stop and proceed are respected by the populace. On this particular day, as I approached a turn-around I noticed two of these boys manning the circle, one each on two successive exits of the circle. There was no noticeable traffic to monitor then.
At about the same time as my car approached the turn-around another vehicle, driven by a very beautiful young lady, approached the circle from my right. I had expected to be stopped for the girl had reached the circle a split second earlier than I had. To my surprise, the traffic assistants waved her to a stop, and bade me to proceed, with a naughty smile. My curiosity was piqued. In the rear view mirror I saw that the two boys were taking their time to wave the beauty to proceed further along the exit. It must have been a good five seconds before they signaled her to go. I was too further away on the road to see the lady's reaction in my mirror, but from what little I know of these, it must have been a vigorous shaking of her head from side to side.
Total time: A generous 10 seconds.
How's he doing?
There are some small but busy and yet unmanned traffic spots where nature- mother and human- slug it out for the best way forward.
At such intersections vehicles jumble up at the junction from all sides leaving no room for anyone to go anywhere. In this heady cacophony some kind souls backtrack or shift a little to make room for vehicles nudging in from all other sides and soon the spot is cleared of the madness.
I found myself in the middle of such a mess one fine evening. With the intention of guiding vehicles on both sides of my car, I opened the car's windows. Just as I was done with firm suggestions to my fellow drivers, a familiar face peered in on me. The face smiled and without meaning to, I did the same. The fellow asked, "Hello Doc, how are you? Remember my father?" In that situation, perhaps even the most devout would be forgiven if they could not possibly remember the Father, leave alone someone's big man. I was hard pressed to go further along the junction on one hand and on the other, I had to blurt out, "Oh, Hi, how's he doing?"
"He came out fine from the hospital" the guy responded.
Someone honked a nasty one from behind this fellow and he mumbled, "Excuse me, Doc, See you later."
Excused indeed, I said to myself-of myself.
Any corporate big boss would have been proud of the time-management displayed by my friend.
Total Time I was tried for: ten seconds that seemed like a decade.
Well I am referring to quirky everyday events that add some flavour to a day in just about ten seconds.
The best place that I know of to get your fill of events of this import imprinted on your mind is the road in a busy city. Here's a small selection of what has amused me.
Quick Bite:
A portly gentleman whom I have known for sometime now has recently upgraded from a two wheeler to a car with shaded windows. He has consulted me in the past for painful knees and I have a distinct remembrance of advising him to shed some weight. Well, it seems he leaves for work at (presumably) the same time that I go (occassionally) for my morning walk. The purpose of shaded windows is to prevent peering eyes to see what is going on inside. But that still leaves the front glass- the wind screen- for curious eyes to have their share of peeks. The other day I chanced upon this man deftly handling the steering wheel with one hand while helping himself to a generous portion of what seemed like a pizza from something in the seat next to him. At that very instant our eyes met for a fraction of a second and then he whizzed past. Heaven only knows whether he swallowed the pizza or whether he choked on it! Needless to say, I enjoyed it- the scene!
Total time: much less than 10 seconds.
Pleasure with Duty:
In my city there is a squad of traffic assistants, boys and girls just past their teens, who assist the police in directing the traffic at important junctions. They have no legal authority but most times their signals to stop and proceed are respected by the populace. On this particular day, as I approached a turn-around I noticed two of these boys manning the circle, one each on two successive exits of the circle. There was no noticeable traffic to monitor then.
At about the same time as my car approached the turn-around another vehicle, driven by a very beautiful young lady, approached the circle from my right. I had expected to be stopped for the girl had reached the circle a split second earlier than I had. To my surprise, the traffic assistants waved her to a stop, and bade me to proceed, with a naughty smile. My curiosity was piqued. In the rear view mirror I saw that the two boys were taking their time to wave the beauty to proceed further along the exit. It must have been a good five seconds before they signaled her to go. I was too further away on the road to see the lady's reaction in my mirror, but from what little I know of these, it must have been a vigorous shaking of her head from side to side.
Total time: A generous 10 seconds.
How's he doing?
There are some small but busy and yet unmanned traffic spots where nature- mother and human- slug it out for the best way forward.
At such intersections vehicles jumble up at the junction from all sides leaving no room for anyone to go anywhere. In this heady cacophony some kind souls backtrack or shift a little to make room for vehicles nudging in from all other sides and soon the spot is cleared of the madness.
I found myself in the middle of such a mess one fine evening. With the intention of guiding vehicles on both sides of my car, I opened the car's windows. Just as I was done with firm suggestions to my fellow drivers, a familiar face peered in on me. The face smiled and without meaning to, I did the same. The fellow asked, "Hello Doc, how are you? Remember my father?" In that situation, perhaps even the most devout would be forgiven if they could not possibly remember the Father, leave alone someone's big man. I was hard pressed to go further along the junction on one hand and on the other, I had to blurt out, "Oh, Hi, how's he doing?"
"He came out fine from the hospital" the guy responded.
Someone honked a nasty one from behind this fellow and he mumbled, "Excuse me, Doc, See you later."
Excused indeed, I said to myself-of myself.
Any corporate big boss would have been proud of the time-management displayed by my friend.
Total Time I was tried for: ten seconds that seemed like a decade.
