Yesterday, I decided to run a quick errand for a few household items as I enter another week of working from home. My itinerary included a quick dash to a nearby open market to buy some foodstuffs.
I was surprised to find the market very busy as this was not typical for a Sunday. All the parking spots close to the market entrance were taken. I was disappointed because it meant I had to park farther from the market and walk back.
Luckily, I noticed a vehicle exiting from the left side of the road. A parking spot was finally available and so I made a beeline for it. After signaling that I was turning left, I stopped for an oncoming truck to pass. Instead of the truck passing, it stopped just by my desired space. The driver thought I was reversing and so he stood there waiting. Despite all the hand gestures I made to show that I was turning left, the truck driver kept issuing directions on how to reverse. There were other vehicles behind me and they started to honk impatiently as they could did not understand what was going on.
The truck driver finally got the message when I did not budge and went on his way. I finally turned into the parking space and apologized to the drivers behind me who seemed quite happy to move on.
Reflecting on this incident I realized that in life whether at work or play, we may be heading for a “coveted spot” with our “right reasons”. We could be signaling to everyone about our intentions but the people around us (family, friends, colleagues or total strangers) may misinterpret the signals we give off. Some may not be aware of how close we are to our target and could pressurize us to move along. Some may also be helping with the objective that once you move along, they can also move on with their lives. Heeding to these distractions can us take back to a place that does not align with our goals.
When we find ourselves in similarly uncomfortable situations, do we persist and focus on the goal or do we momentarily forget our “why” and give in to the pressure? Robert Frost in his poem “Servant of Servants”, provides the answer: the best way out is always through.
As we begin the second half of the year I would like to share the insight I got from this occurrence: avoiding awkward, uncomfortable and distressing situations creates an unfulfilled life. When faced with a challenge, refer to your why and if it is still valid, stand firm and see it through.
P.S: I was impressed with the shops I visited that were still enforcing hand washing, and the wearing of face masks and had temperature guns to screen shoppers. Outside these organized outlets, I was appaled to see a lot of people going about in public without their face masks. Social distancing protocols were also not being observed.
COVID-19 is real, let’s continue to stay home as much as we can, wash our hands and wear a face mask when in public.
