Yesterday, I went to New Orleans for a routine follow-up visit to the ophthalmologist after my cataract surgery. The good news is my eyes are fine approaching two years after.
The boring news is that I got lost going to the doctor's office. I took the wrong exit off I-10 and ended up hopelessly lost. I had to call the office to get directions. It was one of those situations where you can see the building, but you can't find the service road to get you there.
When I reached the parking lot, there were no parking places. I drove round and round, and nothing. By that time, I had to make an emergency visit to the ladies facilities, so I parked in a spot with red lines, ran into the building which (TBTG!) has a ladies on the ground floor, and raced back to my car. (TMI, I know!) Finally, finally after more circling, I found a spot. Of course, I was late, but no one seemed to mind.
On the way home, I did something I've never done before. I ran a railroad crossing gate. Wait! There was no train! I waited and waited, and cars were going around me weaving their way through the gates, so I inched up and looked and saw no train, so I ran the gates. Far down the road, I could see back to the tracks, and no train ever passed.
I do not recommend that anyone follow my example, but I didn't know what to do. Now I know. Call 911, and someone will (One hopes!) contact whatever authority to fix the problem. Sometimes I act in ways that scare me, that seem reckless, and that was one of those times. What came before, getting lost, no parking place, needing to use the loo badly, badly, all of the frustrations of the day, probably made me irritable and contributed to my poor judgement.
Please help me for Christ sake
ReplyDeleteand all of that on my 68th birthday...I identify!
ReplyDeleteYesterday, Juan Carlos and some friends visiting from Woodside (near San Francisco) fixed omletts (with bacon--big treat) and then we joined other friends and went off to the ¨city¨ for Korean BBQ lunch, then shopping then on the way home heard tragic news about a lovely indigenous man, our taxi driver, who was gunned down, mid-day in a neighboring city--no reason in the world (that anyone knows) so last night we went and sat outside his home (hundreds of folding chairs in the street) hot coffee by the gallons provided as we waited vigil for his coffin to arrive from the mortuary...about mid-night, we walked about a mile and a half home, then off to be for a sleepless night...the mass is at 3:00 this afternoon and his close male friends and relatives will shoulder carry him first to the village church then to the Cemetery...five children are left, lots of grief everywhere for he was a fine fellow.
We are blessed in so many ways and I´m content that we can share of our upsetting moments as well as our gladones here at Wounded Bird.
I send you much friendship and gratitude,
Leonardo/Len
Majid Ali, can you connect with a group that would verify your status? Prayers for you.
ReplyDeleteLeonardo, Happy Birthday a day late. I see your birthday was a day of mixed emotions.
I'm so sorry about your taxi driver. May he rest in peace and rise in glory. May God give comfort, consolation, and peace to all who love him.
Blogs. What are they good for? For exactly this kind of sharing and praying. Blessings, Leonardo.
Mimi, just a brief comment to say I would probably have eventually run the train crossing too, though I would have been incredibly cautious, as you were. It is good news about your eyes.
ReplyDeleteOh dear. I have spent 3 and a half hours in a stationary train on Thursday night (thankfully I had a sleeper) because of a fatality on the line ahead. I have since learned that a woman was killed when she ran across the tracks to find a bathroom
ReplyDeleteCathy, everyone else was doing it, which I know is no excuse.
ReplyDeleteBrian, my behavior was a double whammy for you to recall bad memories. At least, I didn't combine the two activities.