Thank goodness today for having a face mask on. I don't like to laugh at other people's misfortunes but couldn't stop myself having a titter in a local supermarket.
A man in front of us opened the milk cabinet and proceeded to smack himself on the head with the door. That wasn't the amusing part. What made me laugh was the astonished look in his eyes (he was also wearing a mask so it was impossible to see the rest of his face). He was obviously quite embarrassed but tried to walk away nonchalantly as if nothing had happened. It was a further four or five yards when he thought nobody was watching that he gave the back of his head a good rub.
I remember being embarrassed many years ago when I was in pain from a similar incident. I was on my own in London and decided to go into a restaurant. I think it was in the Leicester Square area.
Just inside the door was a small vestibule that had a large mirror that reached almost from the floor to the ceiling. I opened the door, walked into this area and walked straight into the mirror. If that wasn't bad enough I saw what I thought was another person in front of me and obviously in my way. So I apologised even though he was the one who wouldn't get out of the way. I moved to the left and he moved to the right. So I moved to the right and he moved to the left.
By this time I was becoming angry and gave him a scowl. He scowled back. Then I realised he looked a bit like me. Well actually he looked a lot like me. Well actually it was me. I had been trying to avoid my own reflection in the mirror. I felt a right idiot - a right idiot with a sore head. Can't remember whether I went into the restaurant or went elsewhere.
If I did go into the restaurant I would have been sure to "act very normal" lest somebody saw my antics. Perhaps somebody was having a titter at my expense.
It's similar when you walk into somebody in the street. As you approach you make a mental note to go the the left only to find they have made a mental note to go to their right. Result a collision. Of course this doesn't happen much nowadays thanks to social distancing. Now we have people shooting into the road or into a private driveway. But the decision still has to be made. Who goes into the road and who stays on the path?
* * *
I mentioned earlier about saying sorry to somebody despite the fact I had done nothing wrong.
To me there are two kinds of people. Those that admit to nothing and nothing is their fault and those that admit to everything and take the blame even if they have done nothing wrong.
I used to live a couple of doors away from somebody who would always take the blame. One day he had a minor accident in his car.
"I apologised and have taken the blame," he said to me.
"Was it your fault" I replied.
"No he came out of the side road and hit me."
"Then why did you say it was your fault? I enquired.
"I always do. It's my way of coping with things," he replied.
* * *
Well the votes are in and it looks like the verdict is that it should be custard with bread and butter pudding. The only thing everyone seems to agree with is that it's very very very yummy.