I have a tendency to generally float through life, not paying too much attention to the daily dramas that typically are all around.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
But every now and then there is a situation that seems to perfectly sum up modern life with all its trials and tribulations.
![Grumpy Old Man: arrows point to the turning nature of life's problems Grumpy Old Man: arrows point to the turning nature of life's problems](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/204165774/eb7c9502-e00c-450e-a02d-e74fd191f8a4.png/r0_0_1600_900_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
One of those happened on a Saturday morning as I headed off with many others in the community to do my weekly shopping.
Getting to my shopping destination meant making a right turn at an intersection controlled by traffic lights, so I drove into the right hand lane and waited while the red arrow was showing.
The lights went though a full cycle, then another, and another, all while the red arrow remained a bright red, burning its way into and through the hearts of all those stuck waiting and hoping.
After the first cycle or two some of the other drivers in front of me gave up, and edged their ways to the left into one of the lanes for driving straight ahead.
"Ha, quitters," I thought to myself.
But then the driver in the front of the queue sat there as the red arrow remained, but the green light allowed those travelling straight ahead to be on their way, and there was no car coming in the opposite direction for what, in my admittedly frustrated state, seemed to be 32 hours.
Finally I gave up as well and moved to the left, only to be stopped by a red light.
And then, of course, the inevitable happened - and the green arrow finally decided to return to work after its break sunning itself on some tropical beach.
It glowed, it shone, it stayed while a long procession of cars turned towards the shops, all while I was fuming because I now had to travel the long way around and deal with several extra sets of traffic lights.
And it made me remember why I hate throwing things out because they will invariably be needed soon after being relegated to the rubbish.