eye contact

Have you ever dropped a napkin while you’re eating at an outdoor table, like at a park, or at the patio section of a restaurant? One of the things about being outdoors, besides it being awesome, is that there is always light breezes that are pretty much unpredictable. Here is the scenario:

You drop the napkin. Depending on your personality, you will either attempt to pick it up immediately, or look at it and reach to get it with your shoe a couple of seconds after (sometimes even without looking). Supposing you are reaching for it, a light wind comes by and takes it a little further from you. At this point, you might stand up and reach for it again, but hesitate because another breeze can come by and take it farther, just as you reach for it. Of course, you can give the poor napkin an evil glare and then reach for it, it might keep it in place.

Running for the bus has the same effect. You see it there, “waiting for you”. But as you approach it the doors close. Will it still wait for you once it sees you?

I’ve seen plenty of people run for the bus, and just as they are one bus-length away from it, it leaves. Then they just end up feeling all awkward. We all saw you miss the bus. Some of us feel sorry for you while others might be laughing. We just don’t know what people will do in this world. Apparently we don’t know what buses or napkins will do either.

If you see the bus waiting there, decide if you want to go for it or not, and then do it! Soon after you miss the bus, just don’t make eye contact with anybody, and if someone choses to yell out the window “sucks for you, man!” which I’ve heard a million times, don’t flip them off, just laugh and be cool about it. Pretend like it happens to you all the time.