Thinking of perception again this afternoon in Auckland as Margo and I make our way back towards Canada. Things aren’t always as they seem, as I was reminded yet again in a parking lot in Devonport, Tasmania a few days ago…

Margo and I sat incredulous in our car, as we watched, seemingly in slow motion, as a woman took literally minutes to back out of parking spot in a kind of 12 point turn; blocking the whole road, and then once straightened up, slowed down and began looking for something in her purse. Of course, we still couldn’t get by her and by now, I’m not proud to say this, but we’d tried and sentenced her as the most incompetent driver on the planet… Actually, that’s putting it quite mildly…

As she slowly pulled up alongside us and wound down the window, my thoughts turned to “now what?”.

“Here you go love; there’s still two hours on it.” as she handed me through our open windows her parking ticket; then added “Have a Merry Christmas!”

Lesson learned; one I should know more than anyone.

It pays not to be so quick to judge.

Lessons abound, as always.

Hope you had a great Christmas!