The postings on this site are my own and don’t necessarily represent IBM’s positions, strategies or opinions.
Wither-Weather
A storm is coming -- a nor'easter. My governor's car accident on Thursday and my own almost a month ago remind me that I need to be precautionary. I will not drive during it. I will go to the IBM Learning Center and check in this evening, even though class doesn't begin till Monday morning, since Sunday and Monday are the storm-days.
The governor's accident reminds me of my previous posting about liking order. I do follow most rules, like wearing a seat-belt. Had I not worn a seat-belt, I do not know what might have happened to me physically in my accident, which was so serious, I totaled my tank of a car.
Even with a seat-belt, when the car slid over to a boulder on the hilly edge of the road, and then onto, up and over it, going airborne for a moment, I hit my head on the roof, hard enough to cause a small bump.
This might also go back to my previous posting, about being adaptable, but not so flexible. The new order was snow and ice, and so be it, I thought at the time, getting into my car. My plan was to see my friend Chitra and take her to the airport for her flight back to India and then to drive home from there.
Had I been flexible and not just adaptable, I would have changed my plan, rather than being resolute. This time, fear is leading to further flexibility.
My plan for the coming week was to drive to Armonk on Monday for the upcoming train-the-trainers session, using the weekend to study and write for school. Because I never wish to drive in dangerous weather again, I am changing my plan.
Auto Carnival
Yesterday, Pat and I went to the Auto Show to shop for a new car. What an unspiritual, yet highly entertaining, environment! I could do something better for the environment and for my wallet this time, if we buy the hybrid, but Gunhild, the woman who told us about the 60th anniversary edition of the Saab 9.5 Aero, was stunning.
And Bob Dishy had sat in it just before we did. He got out of it and a would-be Saab buyer, also standing by the car, and a self-described fan, told us who he was.
When will I learn my lesson? It struck me this week that I ought to feel like someone whose house burned down, God forbid, but who's still alive and who has to realize that ultimately, the car -- as beautiful and powerful as it was -- was just a thing. I have my health and so why be continually attracted to beautiful, powerful things when I could focus further on trying to be beautiful and powerful myself, in the most appealing senses of both words?
If we buy the hybrid, am I suddenly a citizen, doing my part to end global warming? Not sufficiently. We live in a house that arguably is too big for two people, and so we use more than our fair share of natural gas to keep ourselves warm, and more A/C than is fair, too.
After school is done for the semester, after May 9th, we'll do test-drives of the two cars. Pat is leaning toward the virtuous car, and so am I, but above all, it must be comfortable for an hour-long commute each way...and more than she, I'm trying to get over the need for gorgeous, cheerful, rare-blue, exterior paint and two-toned leather seats, and disappointing Gunhild....
What are you doing to reduce global warming? What are you doing to be more beautiful and powerful?
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