Point Striking with Vehicles

It happened like this.

Using my normal awareness, I sauntered across my parking lot. I climbed into my car, glanced around, dropped it in reverse, backed up, and heard a startling CRASH!

Adrenal GlandsI think it’s me?

Adrenaline rush. Exhale (to encourage breath control). Look closer: yep. My car is interacting inappropriately with someone else’s car!

Barely. It’s just a nick (and no one was hurt or injured). But man, oh man.

My biggest foe is my embarrassment.

I’m not embarrassed about the act, the crash, the incident. I’m not embarrassed to resolve the problem. I’m not ashamed or terrified either. I’m embarrassed deep down, on the inside.

I get embarrassed, plagued really, when I miss something, especially something that should be obvious. My awareness was not expansive enough include the little old lady who pulled in behind me.

Yes, under my awareness radar a female senior citizen, on her way to a physical therapy appointment, pulled in behind me. Fast or slow, I’m not sure. Maybe slow and stealthy; perhaps quick and direct. When I backed up: there she was.

But here’s the Supreme Ultimate Point, in retrospect:

Dim-Mak Bumper

My bumper was scuffed, just a little. Our cars met; my bumper met her wheel. Her hub cap shattered: and that appeared to be all the damages…scuffed bumper and shattered hubcap.

We agreed to settle it amongst ourselves. It seemed simple. But after she found out: uh-oh. Her rim and tie rods were wrecked too.

A mere scuff on my bumper dealt significant damage to her car. Why? What was the key? Taiji of course.

I was turning gently and the position of my bumper, though not deliberate, was precise. Subtle and easy: that gently turning bumper placed perfectly against her tense, unforgiving hub and rim, did a lot of work. In fact, I experienced almost no impact…I only heard the sound of impact.

Remember how your pisiform fits in the revolving parts of another’s body?

Be careful, and look around.

I do.