One such predicament, around here, is variable weather. In fact, if there is one challenge that binds mankind together it might be the weather. We all talk about it, speculate about it, keep track of it ("today's high was so close to breaking a record..."), and worry about it. But for all our yakking about it, we have almost no power over it.
Sometimes we find ourselves thinking about something we encounter all the time, but aren't quite sure if we should classify that phenomenon as a predicament or a problem. I saw a blog post just the other day where some guy experimented with backing into parking spots for a solid month, just to see if there was some clear advantage in doing so.
I read the entire post, though I had no idea who the writer was or what his background as a driver was. The post spoke to my long-time annoyance about people who slow down traffic, get to close to neighboring cars, and waste time in several maneuvers to get their vehicle centered in an often narrow space.
The blogger said that his conversations with fellow workers who insisted on backing in to their space amounted to "At the end of the day, I just can't wait to get out of here."
The blogger cited all sorts of statistics that proved that backing into a space did not reduce accidents, and really didn't do much to reduce the time needed to exit. But facts have little to do with many human activities.
Of course, that little "life triumph" required a much larger expenditure of time each morning, as backing up is never as easy as going forward. The blogger also wondered whether going to all that effort was worth it, or whether people should find jobs that they don't hate as much.
My latest encounter with a backed up vehicle came last Sunday, when I was leaving a church function and found a giant pickup backed up right next to me, so close that my wife could barely squeeze in the passenger door.
I wondered just how much the driver disliked church, to work so hard for a quick getaway.
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