Last week I smashed the hell out of the side view mirror on my new car. Regular readers will be relieved to know that it was the same mirror I damaged the first week I owned it, AND that I hadn't had it repaired yet. That first accident destroyed the trim on the mirror, and it looked a lot worse than it was-- the mirror itself was never non-functional, and once I popped a few pieces back in place, it wasn't even that noticeable.
My second go at destroying it was much more effective. I heard a sickening crunch of plastic and glass as I backed down my sister's narrow driveway, just a little too close to the gate on the right. The mirror was shattered into at least twenty different fragments, and I was sooo mad at myself for not being more careful. The fact that it already needed fixing was only lukewarm comfort.
Unlike the vagabond only concerned with the road ahead, I worried about making the 600 mile trip home without that rear view, but I did my best with what I had: I adjusted the other two mirrors and hit the road. Fortunately, we arrived without any problem, and the repair is scheduled for tomorrow.
The other day I realized the strangest thing, though. When I looked at that mirror out of habit, I could clearly see what was behind me. Somehow, my brain filtered those twenty disparate perspectives into one, usable image. In amazement, I even used the switch to fine tune the view.
What a marvel of adaptation the human brain is! Or is it? Because, quite frankly, objects in the mirror are still a lot closer than they appear.
What a bummer! I am so sorry that this happened again to you. The brain is an amazing organ. This story makes me think of the sentence that kids like to share with no vowels...and we are able to read and make sense of it!
ReplyDeleteDid you change the title?
ReplyDeleteI just re-adjusted my side mirrors to the "new" position eliminating the blind spot. People of my generation were told to always "include" the side of the car in adjusting the mirrors; now we are told to move the mirror ourwards more. I've been trying to get my brain to get used to this new position. I was interested in your story, and hopefully, without too much more lag time, my brain will get in gear and get used to this.
ReplyDeleteSorry about the accident--glad it's something easy that can be repaired.