It was one day, when I was sitting in the car, that the realisation finally hit me. For my whole life, until that point, the thought had never really crossed my mind, or if it had, it had been of so little significance, that I had cast it aside before really going into the depths of it. The fact is, you are not, as previously thought, in your own, relatively private world, shaded behind the surrounding glass: you can be seen, by everybody and anybody… you are horribly exposed to the outside world.
Now maybe this doesn’t sound that remarkable. I mean, obviously, people can see you, it’s not as though I used to think that, the moment you hopped into the car, you assimilated yourself into a world of invisibility, where, behind the tinted windows, you could do as you liked. But, there was always a sense, that when you’re in your car, you’re not as apparent to the outside world, as you are when, say, you’re walking down Rundle Mall wearing a jumper of which you are dubious about the nature of its social acceptability…(or, looking as though you have just emerged from spending the last week of your life living in a puddle, as I did this morning…quote of the day: ((little girl talking to her dad, and pointing at me)) “look at that lady’s hair ”) It was just the sudden shock of realising, you are just as visible when you are coasting along the road, as when you are out walking.
The same thing applies when you’re a pedestrian. You don’t think anyone’s watching you as prance about, swinging bags, or stacking it over a loose piece of pavement, because they’re just cars whizzing by, not people…
How wrong we were. Anyways, that thought weirded me out, so I thought I’d share.
To put a Harry Potter spin on the matter:
7 comments:
hey lol i realised a while ago that ppl can see u in the car when i used to sit in the car and play sweet and sour or just sitting there and having the guys in the car next to u donig 'interesting' gestures at you and u just reply with the bird or if ur feeling really special the big bird... but anyways...yes its a strange realisation i have tehm all the time i just cant remember them... hahah obviously not life changing!
whats sweet and sour and whats the bird/big bird??? :S
but yes elizabeth, i also came to that realisation a while ago. you know whats weird though? is when little kids say "blah blah that lady"... suddenly we're not "girls" we're "ladies"!! wow, how grown up do we sound? hehe. anyway, i know what you mean about walking along the pavement, even though there might not be another person in sight, you can be assured that people in cars are watching you... well thats what i do anyway :P
u dont know what sweet and sour is.... dude u obviously didnt grow up in the backseat of a car (like myself) basically its a game u play wen ur young and u wave at ppl in teh cars next to you and if they wave back or smile at you they are sweet if the ignore u or just blow u off then they are sour!
and the bird is giving someone the finger the big bird is that arm movement thing u know were u hit ur other arm...and it bends... ok that movement whilst giving the finger is the big bird! dad and i made that one up for driving...
hahaha, good description 'that movement when you hit your other arm' na, i was mostly in the front seat unless both parents were in the car, or it was the way back from something [because i was in the front on the way, simon was in the front on the way back]. but i never played that game! i want to sometime :P hehe
hahah yeah its fun i spent alot of times in cars or buses in the back seat and we would play that game.. we used to play it alot at walford when we went to excursions and stuff it was fun i remember doing it once on the way back from camp! going done greenhill road after being up in the hills and passing all the cars and we would play hahah it was fun...
and that is why i smile
OMG! ELIZABETH!!! YOU MADE IT BE A POP UP BOXY THING AND NOT GO TO ANOTHER PAGE FOR COMMENTS!! I'M SO PROUD OF YOU!!! *bows to elizabeth*
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