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Pardon the Tangent

I am convinced, after 41 years of this life, that if my mind didn't work in tangents, it wouldn't work at all.

While driving to work today, I was stopped by a very large family of geese crossing the road. They took their sweet time. Gawking at me, honking at each other, waddling in no particular hurry to cross the road. It made me wonder about people. Pedestrians. Ever notice how some people look at you in an apologetic way as they scurry across the intersection -- almost apologizing for their need to get somewhere. Others seem in no hurry whatsoever and almost oblivious to the time available to them to safely cross. I wonder what makes the difference in the way a person chooses to cross the road?

I suppose this morning's little "geesestrian" incident prompted me to wonder not why the chicken crossed the road but in what fashion the chicken crossed it.

Comments

Kadnine said…
Hmmm... Interesting topic.

I suppose the way *I* cross the road is heavily influenced by my hitting a pedestrian just a few months after earning my license as a teen.

The man was later determined to be suicidal, but that didn't do much to make the incident any less horrific.

Nowadays I stare in disbelief at people when they cross without looking. "Are you mad!?" I think to myself.
Rena Bernard said…
Wow, Kad! What an experience to have when you first got your driver's license!! Sheesh. Can't suicidal people find a way to end it all without traumatizing others? ;-)
Kadnine said…
Sorry! I didn't mean to imply that the experience haunts me, exactly. But it's something I hadn't thought about for a long time and your post reminded me of that night.

Didn't mean to get all maudlin :-)

Pedestrian habits are just the sort of tangent I'd latch onto. Isn't human behavior the most fascinating subject? Better than watching gorillas. Way better than lab mice.
Rena Bernard said…
Human behavior has entertained me since I was a wee lass, 'tis true! Love it. The geese were just a trigger for that tangent. Although the way they crossed the road sure reminded me of multitudes of people I've watched as they cross the road downtown... strollers, scurriers, darters, striders, etc.

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