Picture this. It’s a stunning day, blue skies, fluffy white clouds and a there’s a cool breeze just slight enough to tickle the tiny hairs on your arm. It’s that seemingly perfect weather we hope for most days. You know the kind I’m talking about, sunny, but not to the point where you risk burning your face off.
Anyway, you’re taking a drive along the scenic coastal route, your favourite music is playing in the background, it almost feels like you’re in a movie. Before you know it, it’s too late. You’re clenching your teeth, saying a very rapid, silent prayer and hoping for the best.
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Why? Well because you’ve just hit a pothole of course. How crazy it is, that something so empty could make it’s presence so pronounced.
Please don’t get me wrong, I love our little town, potholes and all. As a child, I never quite understood the severity or pain of hitting one of them, until I began driving on my own. I am certain that at some point, we’ve all had to make a skilful manoeuvre to avoid a pothole, or six (I’m not counting).
The real fun is when you think you’ve memorised all the pesky spots but suddenly a new one pops up to surprise you. I will say this though, one thing I’m grateful for is a pothole’s lack of prejudice. It does not matter who you are, where you live, what kind of car you drive or what football team you support. We are all equal in the eyes of a pothole. So unassuming and innocent looking, until you hit one of the sneaky little buggers. I’ve had friends lose wheels, break control arms and a whole bunch of other mechanical terms that I cannot remember.
However, they do come in handy to control speeding on our residential roads. Fancy a midnight drag race on that straight strip of road? I think not, those potholes will humble you and your mates. Something that always gets me is the ‘repairing’ of potholes. Unfortunately, merely filling the hole with very loose gravel or some sand is not the solution.
All it takes is an hour of steady rain and that pothole is ready to attack again.
So, what next? Do we start planting trees in every pothole that we see? Do we start throwing them birthday parties? Because I am certain I’ve driven past some that are over a year old now. Are we accountable for damages to our vehicles all because we weren’t able to preempt a humongous hole in the road?
I’m pretty sure it isn’t normal to have to expect them?
I wish I had the solution, I really do. Until then, I will continue to make light of the heavy situations that sometimes fill our daily lives. It might seem silly, but sometimes it helps to laugh it off because I swear, if we all got riled up over every little thing, none of us would live to see 40.
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