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Oblivious
of the Obvious
by Peary Perry | |
Ever
notice how you never notice something until it directly affects you? For example,
you buy a new car, then all at once you start to notice and pay attention to drivers
who are in the same make and model as the one you have bought. Up until that time
you probably didn’t notice any of them. Same with the house you bought. After
you move into the one you picked out, you begin to notice there is one like yours
in every other block. How come you didn’t see this before?
Women do this
all of the time; they seem to be more conscious of someone wearing the same dress
or shoes. Men could really care less. For all we care, the world could wear jeans
and a tee shirt and we’d be ok forever with it. Women can’t or won’t do this.
I’m not sure they can. This is probably how the cave men changed from killing
saber tooth tigers to wooly mammoths. Some cave man’s wife saw another cave man’s
wife in a saber tooth tiger skin and told her husband she can’t be seen wearing
the same thing. So, he has to go out and slay something entirely different just
to keep the peace at home. Pretty soon even that has gotten old, so you can see
where this story goes. The decimation of many entire species is probably the result
of a badly thought out fashion statement. What did a Dodo bird dress look like
anyway? Hard to imagine.
Aside
from the facts described above, I wish someone would explain to me that you can
never find things when you really need them. For example, someone is following
you and acting very strangely, but where are the cops you see each and every time
you are over the speed limit by ten miles or going too fast in a school zone?
No where to be found.
The other day I noticed that I needed to get my
passport renewed. To do this you need new passport photos. To save my soul, I
can’t remember where I’ve seen those little shops that take the photos while you
wait. I know they are around here somewhere, but can’t find one anywhere. Finally
I happen upon one and get it all done. The next day, I see signs all over the
place advertising…. ‘passport photos…while you wait’. Where were they yesterday?
How did I miss them?
You know those little businesses that you see along
the highway where they fix your windshields? Well, I’ve seen them around town
for years, but not today, they’ve just all disappeared. I need one of those stone
chips on my windshield fixed and can’t find anyone to do the repairs. Now, I’d
be willing to bet that once I do get it fixed, I’ll see them pop up on every corner.
Same thing with mailing a letter. I think we used to have a mail box within a
couple of blocks of every house I grew up in when I was a kid. Today, you have
to search for one and probably have to go to the post office to mail a letter.
Don’t try calling the post office and asking where a box is located unless you
like being placed in mailbox hell for an hour or so. I’m fairly certain they never
get any complaints over the telephone since no one can ever stay on the line long
enough to actually reach the complaint department. I’ve heard that people have
actually died while being on hold with the USPS.
Now, the above describes
two entirely different viewpoints of human nature. One sees everything that is
common with itself and the other is entirely oblivious of the obvious. I’m certain
there are more mailboxes around and I have just overlooked them. Perhaps we just
see what we want to, when we want to do so. Who knows? Who really cares? I’m certain
someone has written a book or a thesis on these quirks of human nature, but I
don’t think I’ll be reading any anytime soon. I just find it curious that we all
seem to have similar experiences. I’ll keep on looking at these since they give
me something to write about, maybe I’ll even discover some deep dark social secret
that will help unravel the mysteries of life.
On the other hand, perhaps
it’s because of our age. I haven’t figured it out yet, but I keep on trying. Like
someone once told me, growing old is not an option, but growing up is. I’m holding
off for as long as I can.
© Peary Perry
Comments go to pperry@austin.rr.com
Letters From North America
- May 27, 2009 column
Syndicated weekly in 80 newspapers
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