Hello... anybody there❓

Today I want to talk about something of the uttermost importance. The topic of discussion will be why you must consciously live your life rather than just gliding through your days as nothing more than a drone. Just because you have a soul doesn't mean that you know your purpose.

^{Let me describe a rather hilarious scenario that motivated me to compose this post.}

The other day, I was at my desk typing away on my computer just like I am during this very moment. All of a sudden I heard a loud crashing noise from outside and a man screaming profanities loud and clear. As I usually would do, I jumped up and ran over to one of my 10ft tall windows which have views of a busy part of downtown. I had to see what was going on.

Usually, it is some crazy person making a ruckus, whether it be a homeless person, drug addict, or just some other type of human being spiraling out of control. To my surprise, it was a regular man in his 60s. I believe I had even seen the guy at my former place of employment a few times actually. A pretty normal-looking fellow, grey hair and a ponytail. It took me a second to realize what the old man was shouting about, but I eventually caught on.

I had noticed the day prior that after the trash men emptied my building's dumpster, they had placed it a few yards away from where it normally sits. No big deal I thought, maybe that'll give maintenance a chance to clean underneath it for once. Surely that would be beneficial. This area is mostly a walking zone for people on foot, outside of a couple of reserved parking spaces for the building beside mine. It was pretty much impossible to not see that the giant dumpster was just out in the middle of the area, rather than tucked away in the corner like it normally is. At least I thought it to be blatant, but some people just are not very observant. Some may even say they are just walking dead.

Back to the old man that was yelling outside of my window. He wasn't happy and I had to observe closely to figure out why. He was pacing around a white Land Rover Discovery, which starts around $55,000 brand new. I could barely see the full picture of the situation from my bedroom window, but I was able to assume what had happened. It appeared to me as if this man had just backed his vehicle into an unmarked parking spot for his own convenience. People do this all of the time and it annoys me to death. The worst is when people think that nobody ever walks out of the giant metal door that is right beside where this guy parked. Often times they get so close that I nearly smash the side of their ride with the door, luckily I'm very aware of my surroundings and that has yet to occur.

I've seen this Land Rover parked out there many times in the past. He at least doesn't park right up against the door as some idiots do. I can't say this guy is very smart though because what he did to his expensive vehicle is quite possibly one of the dumbest things I've witnessed in a long time. This dude seriously backed his Discovery right into the dumpster. His rear window aligned perfectly with a big metal bar that extends from the dumpster. This in turn led to the pressure of the bar against the window to shatter his rear glass, as you can plainly see in the thumbnail image of this post.

I think the main reason that this happened is that the dumpster isn't where it usually is. This man is so used to just parking the exact same every single time that he didn't even pay attention to the fact that the dumpster was where his car normally sits. You can't get much less conscious than that, well besides being brain-dead.

I tried to think of how this could have happened. His vehicle is a newer model, surely it has a backup camera. I don't trust those either, so maybe he wasn't looking at it. If that were the case, then his head probably would have been cranked around like mine usually does when backing up. I guess he wasn't looking at all and just assumed he'd back right in smoothly as he usually does.

I walked downstairs to snap a quick photo after he roved off somewhere for a few minutes. Once I got up close, the damage was done and it wasn't pretty. There was glass all over the dumpster and inside the cargo area of the Land Rover. It was a total disaster. It would cost roughly $500 to fix a mistake like this. He eventually came back and drove off. I assume he was headed to someplace to get a new window.

This whole predicament amazes me still. I would love to interview the guy and ask what on earth happened. I feel like his only reply would be the sound of his saliva dripping down on the mic. Clearly, this guy is not very present and wouldn't be able to provide me with much clarity.

I know that in his mind he is probably going to try to blame the trash men for not placing the dumpster where it normally is. Sure they should have done that, but maybe it was somebody new that day and they are still learning the ropes. Truthfully, it was the old man's own fault for not paying attention. Plus that is what he gets for parking in a no-parking zone. I can't say that I would wish something like this on somebody, but I also do not feel bad for him one bit.

What is the lesson here❓

If you haven't figured out the moral of the story already, I will hold your little hand and explain. Clearly, I am trying to say that you should be present with each and every moment of your life. Don't take the simple things for granted, it could all end in a blink of an eye. Plus if you aren't paying close attention, some pretty awful things can occur besides death.

I'm glad that the guy didn't get injured. Worse things could have happened during this moment. For instance, it would have been so sad if he had a dog in the back of his vehicle like this one car does that parks in the same exact spot every so often. This type of failure can be repaired, but it will cost him some cash. Obviously, this guy is going to be able to manage, otherwise, he wouldn't be in a Land Rover.

Let this post be a reminder that you are in control of your life. No fancy self-driving car is going to choose your destination, you must carve your own path. Do not be distracted by things that matter little to you, focus on your goals. Most of all, stay safe and be careful not to make huge mistakes like the guy that I heard screaming outside of my apartment after he did a big oof.

I'll leave you with a photo of that dog I mentioned a bit ago. Something positive. I'm happy to see this cutie anytime that I am lucky enough to do so. This kind animal notices me every time that I walk by as it waits for its owner to come back to the car. If a dog can be observant of what is going on, surely a human can do the same.

My NFTs: https://inji.com/@daltono/nfts