Eyes

Eyes

Sunday 16 May 2010

How does a bad day end?

I'll tell you how a bad day begins.
First I leave the house in the morning with stilettos and no coat. In denial of the spring that never came, of the cold, damp 10°C outside. I know you're probably thinking 'What hit her on the head?', how come I keep making the same mistakes? You see, I'm a slow learner but at least I'm consistent - you have to give me that! Maybe a coat is a necessity here, but I still view it as just a cumbersome accessory (and I also let myself get misleadingly inspired by a toughened friend who's chosen to entirely drop the coat in May).
How does a bad day progress badly?
I am a conscientious worker. I say this unabashedly. Today was one of those days at work, that in addition to doing my job and focusing on doing it well, I was given the very rewarding task of justifying why I do the job I do. Very motivating, makes you want to just drive on! In the middle of doing that, I skipped lunch, headed downtown to acquire an especially large bag of especially large clothes for an especially big, very special persons' birthday.
At the end of the work day, as is most often the case, I head for my kids. Everything has to run like clockwork from this point onwards. There's no room for any dilly-dallying. I am lugged with with lap-top-stuffed-into-hand-bag, oversized shopping bag with goods-for-special-person, no umbrella (which I forgot at work), no coat, totally impractical stilettos, bad weather, empty stomach and my undeterred quiet resolve. 10 minutes into the 35 minute commute, we get thrown out of the sub-way. There had been a fire on the line and the tube had been indefinitely shut-down. We were all instructed to resort to 'alternate' modes of transport. 'Alternate' modes of transportation did they say? Once spat out into the daylight, out of the sub-way gut of the city, we realize that the main roads and all the roads around leading to it are blocked because of this big Christian event - The Ecumenical Church day. No buses, no taxis or anything on wheels was accessible (yes it is rapidly abating now, that quiet resolve I mentioned earlier). Hordes of people were trudging stoically down the 3 km long road, using the only 'alternate' mode of transport - their feet. I had 20 minutes more till the child-care closes, 10 km to cover, and not the faintest clue how I was going to do it (Thank you for wishing me luck). So I did the only thing there was to do. I walked.
An hour later, not much closer to my destination and entirely bereft of calm, I was still walking. 

And then, she descended. My savior, my angel! She swooped down to my rescue, my kids already in her shelter and took me too under her wing.
Thank you for wishing me luck, for luck did come my way. 

How did a bad day end? Miraculously well.  

1 comment:

  1. wow!...10 km in stilettos!!...with stuff!!..i feel your pain. But all is well that ends well. Hope you scored a good massage.

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