Lamp Post

This incident occurred when I was 5 or 6 years old. We had to buy a particular kind of sweater that we knew was easily available at a store situated in a very busy lane. When we got there, we saw that the parking are right in front of it were occupied. Hence we had to park a few blocks away. We got down and began walking towards the store. I heard someone call out my father’s name and when I looked up, it was a family whom we knew approaching from the other direction. I can’t remember what, but I was keenly observing the woman. So keenly, that I walked straight into a lamp post. And bam! A metallic lamp post, perhaps twenty times my height and chilly because of the cold winds. (We were heading to buy a Sweater, remember? hence, winter was approaching.) I could now see nothing but the lamp post. In a few seconds, I could hear all “Daada aand”, “Awww. yentha aaytu” (What happened?) and “Thoodhu nadapereg aapuja?” (Can’t you see and walk?). It was wasn’t the lamp post, it was the cold lamp post, it wasn’t my face being slammed against it, it was the unasked attention, the queries; I began to cry. Then I heard giggles. That didn’t really help. My mother was rubbing my face to ensure it was nothing serious. (Mothers! 🙂 ) . I stopped crying withing a minute though. My parents chatted with the family friends for a few minutes and then we went ahead and bought those sweaters. (Navy blue ones. We had to wear either blue of white ones to school, to match the uniforms)
A few years later, as I looked back, *dramatization alert* I realised that I had clearly cried because I was embarrassed. I couldn’t let that happen. Embarrassment is pretty much a way of living (For me. Boo). I couldn’t let such petty issues get on to me. Then I said to myself *over dramatization alert* If you let yourself get flustered by every stupid thing that happens around and to you, you shall and nowhere. And here I am, stolid and ever so shameless. Shameless is certainly not a derogatory term. E*Epiphany entrance theme* I wish I could be a little less practical and more carefree though. I should work on that.