How to Learn to Pay Attention

Well, just an ordinary street scene.

It's important to pay attention to your surroundings.

And here, my friends is an object lesson in that old saying, "experience is the best teacher." Pay attention!

This kind of thing happens more than you think. Yes, it's easy for me to sit back and be a wise guy and laugh at the poor schmoe hurting himself like that (the way he bends down afterward to pick up his teeth that were jarred loose is classic).

I was once in Greece, in probably the most remote spot I ever went to there - only stayed a few minutes, it was a kind of rough area and I never did manage to make it to my crazy objective because the connections were just too dicey - just walking down this quiet village street when suddenly this amazingly pretty Greek girl appears out of nowhere and decides to come over and say hello (yes, she spoke English in a halting fashion, most of them do if they want to even if they indicate otherwise 'cuz they're not in the mood).

I was astounded at my good fortune and so walked down the street beside her, so absorbed in the absolute novelty of this situation and her company that I smacked my head hard into one of those street signs, like the round "do not cross here" kind, though it could have been another kind - I didn't really stop to look afterward, and obviously I didn't see it beforehand.

I mean, it just jumped out at me! Those street signs are rough!

It was kinda like this.

Man, that sign rattled, and so did my head. But that was nothing next to the mortification of having this girl I was vainly trying to impress look over at me and gasp, "Oh, are you ok." Well, no problem, that happens all the time to me. You get the idea.

Pure mortification. Earth, swallow me whole now.

Anyway, so, all appearances to the contrary, I do feel for this guy and I am not laughing at him at all. Been there, done that, got the big "L" on my forehead in more ways than one. But at least my performance wasn't captured on a Russian car cam!

2019