commenty

i commented on this journal entry of nehrlich's:


> In fact, I've accomplished basically nothing with my life. Or at least that's how it sometimes feels, relative to the people I know.

tell me about it... it's all a matter of perspective though, right? those of us who went to good schools and therefore know a lot of really smart and/or ambitious people have the disadvantage of a rather skewed view of what accomplishment means. and having the habit of downplaying the things we have done can seem like the nail in the coffin of self-doubt, eh. i'm trying hard to get out from under this coffin lid (how's that for stretching a metaphor...) people tell me "wow, you sang with the sf symphony chorus? that's great! you must be so proud of that!" and my first reaction is to think "um, no, not really, i mean, it's a pretty good choir, and it was fun to work with a world-class orchestra and conductor, but it wasn't all that... and besides, they let me in, so it must not be that elite." people tell me, "wow, you went traveling by yourself for 3 months? i could never do that, you're so brave!" and i think "huh, it's not that hard, and i totally wimped out and only went for 3 months instead of really doing the year-long walkabout i wanted to..."

anyway, here's to attempts to be less self-effacing! (that sentence looks rather odd sitting on its own there without any accompanying glass raised, alas. i'll raise the glass for it when you start your salon. :)

luck be a lady

a man tried to get run over by my car on my way to work this morning.

he was ambling across university ave. in the middle of the block, hands in his pockets, looking straight ahead, maintaining conscientious obliviousness to the motor vehicles on all sides. i didn't see him coming, because the car ahead of me to my right had enough room that they didn't have to hit their brakes, so he popped seemingly out of nowhere in front of me. adding to the excitement, the road was slightly wet due to the sprinklers busily watering the new grass on the recently renovated median. another car was coming up in the right lane, so there i was, car to my right, median to my left, crazy man directly in front of me, and me zipping along at a bit more than the recommended 25mph.

i have now experienced antilock brakes for the first time, and am glad to say that they work fine.

i think i came within a couple feet of taking out crazy man's legs and having to endure a painful lawsuit. (not to mention the emotional consequences of running someone over...)

i slammed on my brakes and swerved as best i could in the limited time and space available to me. i came to a stop just behind crazy man's knees. i looked in my rear view mirror and was relieved to see the car behind me slowing to a stop instead of skidding into my rear end. i continued on my way, amazed that everyone had emerged without so much as a scratch.

what a way to start the morning.