If you have a trial judge telling you that you are lucky, well then you must be pretty darn lucky indeedAnd that’s just what this lowly writer have happened to him. A while back, I have an encounter with a police officer which left me holding a traffic ticket to pay.
This is part 2 of the two-part series on the subject of luck. Read part one here Since I did not think that the ticket was warranted, I contest it in court. It happened like this: we were, (my wife and I) on our way home on a Saturday night from a fashion show in which our son, along with a close friend of his were participants. After we stopped at the friend home to get something for the lad who was sleeping over at our place that night, we continued on our way On route home from the friend’s house, we noticed a car parked in an Alleyway but did not make anything particular of it. We passed by and then noticed that the vehicle came out onto the roadway and was following behind us. On every street that we turned, the car would follow, it took a while but I noticed that it was a police car but, because I’m not a wrong-doer, I don’t go worrying about police cars traveling behind my vehicle, they have as much rights as me or anyone else to be there. After a while, “I saw the lights come shining,” so I pulled over and stopped. An officer came up and asked: where were we coming from if we were drinking. Other than water, and the canned pop drinks my son was, the answer is no. He asked who were these boys in the back seat? I told him that one of them is my son and the other, his friend. He wanted to know which one was mine? He then pointed out that: the boys were not wearing seatbelts. He wanted my son’s name, age etc. asked why he said that he was issuing a citation for not wearing seats with which the vehicle was equipped. He served his ticket and we went our separate ways. Needless to say: I contested the ticket. When the case finally I got to court to find that he (the policeman) did not show so it was just me against them. After I walked the court through the chains of events from where we leave the venue for home that night, up until we encounter the police and then the events up until he issued the ticket. They interrupted my testimony twice to ask if I was a passenger in the car or was I driving, and whether or not I was wearing a seatbelt. I told them that I was driving and wearing a seatbelt. I noticed that the judge and the clerk of the court were discussing a point so I stopped the testimony and waited. Again the judge asked if I was the driver and if I was wearing a seatbelt? Again my reply was- Yes: I was the driver and was wearing a seatbelt. The judge then said: consider yourself a lucky man- on the charge of driving a car without wearing the seatbelt with which the vehicle was equipped, you are acquitted. What I found out later was that the officer wrote that ticket in my name instead of in the name of the person whom he said was in violation, and I didn’t even take the time to examine it. If I did I might have seen that error. Anyways the point here is: the judge said that I was lucky, he is a judge: he should know, but as of yet, I haven’t won the lotteries. Even with all that luck. Hmmm. Who then wants to be my lucky charm?
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The word lucky: according to Webster, means: having good luck, producing or resulting in good, by chance, seeming to bring good luck.All very desirous virtues for one to possess or seek after. But how often have you heard someone say: S/he’s so lucky, or that person is lucky to be… And it’s usually after something terrible has happened? The question then is: at what point did such a person start and/or stop being lucky? Luck then would seem to me to be, a state of having or being left with the best of an otherwise bad or terrible situation. Therefore, to be really lucky, or for one to truly appreciate how lucky one is, such a person must first be: "unlucky or unfortunate." Take this headline for example: Man 'lucky to be alive' after he was trapped under telegraph pole
Luck for this man is relative to the end or after effect of the earlier occurrences. (The not so lucky parts.) At what point then, did this person start being lucky? And what, or who was he before and after that point? Read the story here My lucky break So here is my "lucky" break, if one may call it that: Lucky." a few days ago, I had this experience which got me to thinking about the whole issue of luck, or being lucky. I’m a bus driver. I had changed my regular bus on this day because there were some minor repairs to be done on it. I have a bracket setup on my regular bus’ dashboard, where I place my cell phone so as not to be handling it while driving, plus: I sometimes run the camera (just-in-case I should capture something interesting on the road) Because this current vehicle which I am now driving on this day is to be only for temporary purposes, I did not bother to: uninstall and reinstall my bracket setups. Instead, I just rested my cell phone on or near the dashboard of this bus, and forgot about it, as usual. About halfway through one of my trips, I saw from the corner of my eye, as if something fell from my bus. Thinking that it might have been a passenger who disposed of something, (an illegal act) I was searching to see if I could detect a suspect who might have done it, but not seeing any tell-tale signs, I continued along on my way, while keeping a watchful eye over my passengers. After getting to my destination and having all passengers off the bus, I parked and then reached for my phone (as usual) to continue the writings which I was doing earlier, but I couldn’t find my phone. That was when it clicked: the thing which fell from the bus down the road, was actually my phone. (Bad luck, very bad luck) I immediately turned around and went back to search for it. I happened to have a good idea where to start looking, (good luck?) Having just about 40 minutes to spare before the next trip, I had was to hurry. Making sure to go past the point where I needed to start looking, I then turn around, and reduced my speed to start the search. I noticed one of those road service crew vehicles (those with flashing amber lights and arrows which serves to detour vehicles around them,) (good luck?) I pulled up behind and stopped, then went to ask for assistance in helping me to find it, but this person was already there to do another job, so she called for help, which she said would be there shortly. After waiting for a while and seeing the time slipping away, I decided to continue the search on my own. With the hazard lights still going, I drove on or close to the shoulder, while scanning the road surface for sightings. And then: voila! There it was, the phone and its case from which it had popped and was separated on the impact. (Good luck?) After stopping my vehicle and getting out, I had was to cross two lanes of highway traffic to the other side (with very careful timing,) retrieve the device and then cross back to my bus, so I have found my phone which I thought was lost and gone for good. (Good luck?) With not much time remaining before my next trip, I just securely store away the device and went back to work. The next break time between trips, afforded me enough time to inspect the device, well, the screen was cracked, the back cover on one side was open slightly, and rested adjarred on the volume and power switches. (Bad luck?) I tried the power button: nothing- not good. Not very long afterward though, I heard the sounds of incoming messages- (very good,) the thing still works, only needed to release the jammed power and volume buttons. (Good luck?) Upon closer scrutiny, I noticed that the back cover was not that easily removed, it is held securely together with two small screws, which must first be removed in order to remove the back cover, so all I needed to do was to wait until I get the time and tool to do the job. (Not too bad?) But then I discovered that: these are very unique and very small screws, which needed special tools to undo. (Bad luck?) My research has found though, that this tool can be bought at some hardware store so after I’m done here, I shall be going out in search of said tool, (good luck?) in the meantime: I can still receive calls, (good luck?) but cannot make them until I rectify the issue with the jammed power button. (Bad luck?) So, until then: if you need me? you call me, because I can’t call you. ((Bad or good luck?) How lucky am I So, how lucky am I? Really? I remember once I had a case at the traffic court… More on this in part 2 of this article, coming in a couple of days. Join us then. Tell us how lucky (or unlucky) you are via the comments area below. |
AuthorE Lloyd Kelly is an Author, poet and blogger born in Jamaica W.i. to Raglan and Alma Kelly. Now lives in Montreal Qc. where when not writing, he drives a shuttle bus between campuses at McGill university Via: Poetry Foundation
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