I do believe, all our driving skills are seen not in how fast we drive, not with our ease of overtaking, our dexterity of working our way through traffic jams, but with how you and I park our cars!
My wife and daughters grumble, that there’s no need for me to look from my window as they bring their cars in to park or take them out. “Plan your parking!” I tell them, and slowly but surely, I’ve seen a change.
Yes, plan your parking in your mind. Unlike speeding and overtaking where again split-second planning is also required, here you have a little more time when you park, and planning your movement, going forward or back, how much forward, and how close to the kerb helps.
Let me hasten to assure you that I’ve had my awkward moments. I remember once driving from Pune to Mumbai, entering my colony, then reversing my car directly onto another car.
My co-passengers who had just complimented me on my driving skills, now looked aghast, then looked up and crossed themselves, thanking their lucky stars they’d arrived safe!
I had driven all the way using good reflexes, but in parking, hadn’t done any planning.
That’s so true of life, isn’t it? Without a plan, we can destroy everything in a moment or become the laughing stock of those around.
I remember once walking with a friend of mine to his car, parked in a very crowded car park near a market area. The car was in the middle of a number of parked cars.
We looked at each other helplessly and then the parking attendant pointed to a woman in a tucked up, matter of fact sari, who came towards us, took the key from my friend’s helpless hands and with a dexterity beyond comprehension, pushed, nudged, reversed and moved forward the car, with a skill we’d never seen before or seen ever since. “How did you do it?” I asked amazed and watched as she smiled and pointed to her head.
Yes, she had done it with her mind. But let us move from the parking lot to life. Without planning what we are going to do, you and I can land ourselves in big trouble. Planning isn’t a waste of time.
It may appear so as you stand and look at the situation in front of you, but in the end, as you succeed, as you park yourself into a unique position, it’s good planning that worked.
I’ve found that the best help you can get is from the Master Planner up there who can help you on your drawing board called life! Meanwhile start with your car, plan your parking, as I look out of my window and watch!
