luck

Yesterday was a hot sunny day - there won't be many days like this, but being incredibly lazy about making most of it, I mourn the passing of each day. In the afternoon, I called an old college friend - main topic of these calls has become gossip about old classmates - who got married, who else is on the line, tracking people around the globe. Nowadays I wait for being in the right mood to call friends. Most of the times I am really not in a mood to talk to anybody at all. I think I can muster enough energy to call someone when there is absolutely nothing else I can do - when there is not even crap on TV and I don't feel like reading. I can even be a bit talkative then.

Anyways, I took the car to go out for shopping, still talking to him on mobile and got out to the single lane road out of the apartment. It was a 35 mph road and I must have hit the customary 40. Suddenly out of nowhere, a van pulled into my path from left. Within a fleeting second, I hit hard on the brakes, avoided the van narrowly, turned hard to the right to the sidewalk, before hitting it, took it back on to the road. I was surprised that I got out of that situation without a scratch. I continued talking to my friend, he wouldn’t have noticed any difference but if he listened closely, I think I babbled a bit for couple of minutes. It was a genuine “thank god” situation. Much afterwards I was happy with myself about my presence of mind and good reflex.

Later I was wondering how that pleasant afternoon would have gone upside down if I couldn't react fast enough or the van was bit faster or I hit a post or something. That feeling is the more dreadful than actually seeing the van looming in front of me. I guess all misfortunes like that hits pretty fast and we will be amazed how fast it will all be over.