Annoying ourselves needlessly

images-2My patience was wearing thin. I had been circulating the indoor car park for about ten minutes. All floors checked. All floors full. I just wanted a space for five minutes so that I could post a letter. I decided to try once more before surrendering to the lottery system of seeking a parking spot on the streets. Sligo is truly a nightmare when it comes to parking. Slowly, I crawled and watched every move. Some people have a very annoying habit of approaching a car with bags but instead of entering their cars they open the boot, throw their bags in and walk straight back to the shops. Other people tantalise you. They hang around their cars and chat as if there is no tomorrow. Then there are evil people who open their doors and sit into their car comfortably but don’t’ seen to want to switch on their ignition. It’s as if they have parked in that spot to live there for the rest of their lifetime.

images-1As I turned a corner on the second floor I spotted a heavenly sent gap. Thank God! Patience is a virtue! Yes! But it was at the sharp corner and would involve serious manoeuvring to get the angle right. A major challenge even with a parking assist back bumper. I twisted and turned, withdrew and entered, stopped and started in an exercise that lasted about five minutes. There was great satisfaction when I straightened up into the last parking spot available. Precision. Perfection. Parking fit for a prince. But as I took the key out it clicked with me that all was not as it seemed. The car was inches from the wall but also merely inches from its nearest neighbour. Perfect parking but the driver would not be able to leave the vehicle. If I had a sunroof there may have been possibilities.  I would literally have to bore a hole into the ceiling of my prized possession to get out. Just as I was making my discovery I glanced over at the car parked directly across from me. Its driver had a bold grin on his face. It was as if he had realised my dilemma and was enjoying my plight. Or maybe watching for my next move. When we find ourselves in such ridiculous situations the one thing that we don’t’ want is an audience!NWS_20140617_New_017_31968911_I2

Pride gripped me. Would I let him delight in my stupidity? Was there any other option? I decided to pretend that I was parking for a snooze and slowly lowered my seat backwards. So there!! Maybe, I parked knowing fully that I had no intention of getting out at all. Maybe I was just waiting on someone else? There would be no satisfaction for the glaring eyes of Mister Nosey. I snuggled into the seat and waited for him to make his exit. I waited. And waited. It was a stalemate. Was he sitting me out? Was he calling my bluff? I opened one eye and spied at my subject matter with intensity. He was still wearing the bold grin but as I studied his face more carefully I noticed that both his eyes were closed. My enemy was merely someone sleeping in his car. Taking a genuine snooze. Not like me faking one. Mister Nosey was not Mister Nosey at all. He hadn’t witnessed my stupidity. But I had missed the post. We all have a capacity to annoy ourselves needlessly about things that don’t matter. Even psychologists.

© Shane Martin / www.moodwatchers.com

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