Perverse sense of humor

I go walking every day at a track near our home. It is perfect. The track is 1/2 mile, and next to the track (which is lined with full-grown trees) is a park that we often stop at (assuming my kids haven't driven me crazy by the time I am finished with my walk).

Now, everybody always walks counter-clockwise (Widdershins, my friends!) around this track. There isn't a sign or anything saying to do that, or that it is wrong to go clockwise. I, for a long time, went with the flow, like so many fish, but then something in me started to cringe...and I started walking the other way.

The first couple of times doing it, I was worried that I might bother people, and was a little shy about it. I got over that quickly, and started taking perverse joy in going against the grain. I had my snappy come-back all worked out if people gave me a hard time. I had this hope that someday someone might say something, just so I could get the satisfaction of being right. "Oh yeah? Show me where it says that I have to go that way? OH YEAH? Then why do the mile markers face BOTH directions? Do you OWN the track??"

I also harbored the hope that I would some how change the status quo, and everyone would eventually start walking around the way I was.

Again, I experienced morbid satisfaction in the thought that when that day came, I would just switch directions and start all over again.

I haven't had any luck so far. Everybody just keeps plodding along in the same, boring way...Until today...

Yesterday, there was this young guy running around the track, dodging all the young mommy turtles with their double-wide strollers, and he seemed to be getting more of a workout than he bargained for. I remembered him because he had green shoes...anyway, today, as I was happily saying hello to all the drones going counter-clockwise, I heard a huffing and puffing behind me, and lo, and behold, the green shod man zoomed around me and zipped down the track. He must have discovered, as I did, that it is easier to get around when 1) there is nobody in front of you, and 2) people can see you and get out of your way.

Ah, victory...

That's me...perversely changing the world one person at a time.