A lesson in humility

It seems that life has a sense of humour. Well, I guess I'm not saying anything new there, am I?! Still, I had a rather embarrassing lesson in humility this evening that I thought I would share with you...



I had been to the supermarket and on return to my car had found myself unable to start it. Since I am not good with cars I always ensure that I am a member of the AA. The truck arrived after about an hour. I did not consider this an unreasonable wait, but boy was it cold. Anyway, it took the mechanic about three seconds to, in an albeit friendly and understanding manner, inform me that automatic transmission cars will not start in the 'drive' position. Heck, I've only ever driven a manual gearbox before so I had no idea. Needless to say he was speedily on his way and so was I.

The lesson in humility came afterwards when I remembered what had happened to me at the tills in the supermarket. They have installed several new self-service till points. These have proved to be a firm favourite with men that often only have one or two items and are paying by cash. However, when the other tills are busy other people get a little more intrepid and have a bash at these 'new-fangled' marvels of modern technology.

This evening the tills were particularly busy and so I found myself waiting in line at the self-service tills watching as several hapless old ladies were trying to figure them out. They were struggling to say the least. While remaining calm and patient, outwardly at least anyway, inside I was debating, just for fun, whether the store owners should stick signs up around these tills saying "Not To Be Used By Women - especially old ones". (I had my sexist, non-tolerant head on, by the way).

Like I said, it was only afterwards in the car as I drove home that I realised the similarities between the two incidents and the irony hit me. Having mentally used up just about every stereotypical joke regarding the elderly ladies in the supermarket, I was now the proverbial 'woman driver'!!! (Please, I do not mean to offend, I use this image for humerous affect only).

Well, like I said at the beginning; a lesson in humility for me, I think!