Letters from North
America
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.
