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Overheard at . . . the DMV
“I got all the hardest ones.” I suppose we probably all feel this way after cramming for half an hour and then taking the written part of the driver’s exam. But, in this case, when I heard some of the questions the young girl had faced I had to cringe. I know I couldn’t have answered them. For example she got what she called the horse question. If you see someone riding a horse with their hand raised in the air what should you do? I’m not sure what the multiple choice answers were- but I imagine they went something like: a. Wave back b. Signal your passing direction with your turn blinker c. Stop and wait for them to pass d. continue to drive slowly, the rider was just letting you know they saw you. If you answered ‘c’ you would have been correct. If you shrugged and said ‘who cares’, you should probably stay away from roads in Montana, Wyoming and most of the middle of the country. So, since I had no idea on this one I decided to look up a few more and test my readers knowledge of such things. I also went out to look up some of the weirdest driving rules around the world. Let me know your score after you’ve finished taking… DEANNE’S DRIVING TEST 1. In addition to cushions ahead, to the side, and behind, there are some drivers to whom you should give lots of room. These include? a. Drivers with their windows fogged up. b. Near driveways c. Anyone from Boston d. All of the above. 2. You have a disabled parking permit but all of the spaces are occupied. Do you . . . a. Wait for the next available spot. b. Park in the yellow striped area next to the disabled parking spaces. c. Park in the open spot next to the disabled parking space. d. Start yelling obscenities at the huge Cadillac SUV without a disabled parking permit showing who has taken up two of the spaces. 3. Brown road signs point to? a. A very muddy road. b. Safety corridors c. Historical, cultural or recreational areas d. A horse crossing. Answers: 1. = d 2. = Not sure, I made all of them up and 3. = c Sooooo, how did you do? Ready for part two? Here are some interesting International rules of the road, courtesy of Smartertravel.com. - As long as you don’t get drunk, you can sip a beer while you are driving in Costa Rica (wh-a-a-a-t?) - On the other hand, eating or drinking anything, even water, while driving in Cyprus is a big no-no - People in Crimea better watch out. You can be fined for driving a dirty car in Russia. (I hear they are looking for new sources of revenue, so expect a crack-down on this rule.) There're more… so check out the full article. But of course the number one rule on Deanne’s Driving Test is Stay safe and enjoy every Journey Inspired by Love. Cheers, Deanne p.s. Don't forget to check out my free story on Free Reads from the Genre-istas. (Link Here). Part 1 of THE BIRTHDAY PROMISE is available now and Part 2 will be posted this Friday. Enjoy the Journey!
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A person peeing and a toilet flushing.
Have you ever noticed that for most overhears our brain eagerly seeks out an image to represent it? I overhear a mom reading to a toddler, and without even seeing it I picture the child sitting on the mom’s lap, maybe even eating a cookie or treat. I overhear a truck passing by with music blaring, and I picture what the driver looks like, including details like his pierced ear or mustache. But guess what? Sitting next to the bathroom at the DMV (for an hour and a half) I realized there are some things I really don’t want to visualize. A guy peeing happens to be one of them. It got me thinking: what other sounds would I not want to connect with an image? Of course there is the generally accepted, parents having sex, but what else? For me most bodily functions are off limits…. Changing a pad during a period, someone picking their nose (although I’m not sure what sound I would overhear associated with that one), and someone scratching their chest. But the thing is that as a writer, when I create my characters, I have to imagine them doing all of these things. Why? As readers (or viewers of media) we aren’t typically subjected to these images. But it doesn’t mean the character doesn’t do them. And no, before you call my husband in concern, I don’t mean that I believe my characters are alive. What I mean is that I have to take into account the fact that if my character has a cold they will, undoubtedly need to blow their nose. And, if I have set them someplace where there is no tissue handy (like in the woods,) well then they will pick their nose or wipe it on their sleeve. Do you remember the Amazing Race final episode where the sisters were racing for the finish line and one of them had to use the toilet, costing them the race? Was I the only person to imagine her simply peeing her pants? For some reason I am okay visualizing this. But ask me to picture her sitting on the toilet and I have a much more difficult time. Still, it was one of those rare time when as viewers we were had to participate in this bodily function that usually doesn’t make the final cut. On the other hand, it doesn’t mean I have to force myself to visualize these things in my daily world. Certainly I can tell you that next time I visit the DMV I will put more effort into picking my seat. Here’s to many journeys where you don’t have to sit next to the toilet for the whole trip. Don't forget - I just published Part one of my new Free Read THE PROMISE at: http://freereadsfromthegenre-istas.blogspot.com/2014/05/Birthday-Promises.html |
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Deanne WilstedLink here to Betting Jessica on Amazon.com Archives
June 2020
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