Denting Perceptions

There I was, head bent and thumbs frantically tapping away at the touch screen, intent on letting a friend know I was parked outside the cinema, waiting for her.

Lola heaved ungraciously, rocking onto her right hand tyres.  Heart and breath held for a nanosecond. Unbelievable - one of those blasted trucks has leapt the traffic circle and ploughed into Casterbridge again.  Correction - into Lola.

Still breathless but with pounding heart, I dared look out of the passenger window and saw a little lady of classic vintage blithely closing her car door.  No truck then, that slam had the weight of a Nissan X Trail door behind it.

I wish I could say I showed grace and charm under pressure.  Instead, I leapt out and stormed across, snarling "What have you done?!"  So, not only an absence of grace, charm and understanding but also a question from one of the upper echelons of stupidity.

"So sorry, I parked on a slope and the door swung open.  Look, there's no damage." was the reply. "There bloody is!" roared the viperous vixen from hell.  "Look at that scrape down the door.  How careless!" Hurriedly, LL of CV rubbed at it, and apologised again.

When she'd disappeared into the cinema I pulled out my torch and reinspected the damage.  Yup, it was really there. Without much hope, I placed a polite note beneath her windscreen wiper, asking her to call.

And she did.  The next day.  And a week later I've met her and her husband (lovely couple), who have organised a panelbeater to assess Lola (very minor damage) which they insist on repairing at their cost.  They are charm personified, I've blushingly apologised for my appalling reaction and we've had a sympathy chat about the car park chips and dents which cover our carefully parked vehicles like a smallpox rash.    

I drove back from the panelbeaters this morning reflecting on the goodness of people who live here. Almost every day, in a Heinz 57 variety of ways, I cross paths with, or hear stories of, human beings. The kind, generous, selfless, ethical residents of White River.  It's more usual to refer to 'people' rather than 'human beings' but I honestly believe my town is full of humans - each holding that extra dimension of humanity.  No wonder so much positive energy and creative talent is centred around here.

Now, if only I could harness some of that grace and patience for myself...