A Constant Reminder

Every day that go out back to water my veggies, I'm reminded of a traumatic episode that happened a few years back. It never fails that as soon as I reach for the hose and turn on the water, I flinch a little.

It all started about three years back. I had been asked to show a few pieces of my photography in a small show. So, I was busy getting my work together. I needed to have my negatives scanned, clean the scans, print and then frame the final images. Normally I would scan and print up my own work. However, I wanted this done professionally.

I had already planned to use a company I used when I was in school. However, because I now lived closer to Los Angeles, I would just be using a different branch. I set off with the address in hand and soon found out they had moved. After hunting down the building they had previously resided, I called information for an alternative address. I was in luck. They gave me a second address. I headed over to the new address. It was the correct address and company, however, it was their private building for printing. There was no public permitted...including me. They were nice enough to send me off with the correct new address. I pulled up in front only to find it was the same address I had been to before. This time there was a construction crew working on the building. I got out and started walking around looking for the door. After not finding it for quite a while, I finally decided to ask one of the construction workers.

I walked up to a nice looking guy who was washing down the sidewalk. As I walked up to ask him where this magic door was, he stopped hosing down the sidewalk. He pointed around a little and then pantomimed to me to wait while he found someone who spoke a little more English. As he stepped away, he dropped the hose. That hose hit the ground and hit the handle of the nozzle so perfectly that it turned the water back on and sprayed me straight in the face! I did the girly thing and screamed. I was drenched!

The look on his face was hysterical. He looked terrified! I can only imagine if I had accidentally hosed someone down. I'm sure he thought I was pissed. The poor guy was so embarrassed. Of course, I started laughing at the absurdity of it. What were the chances that it would hit so perfectly. He took off like a bat out of hell. Presumably to get someone else to talk to me, because a nice gentleman finally came over and pointed me around the building to the magic door.

After an hour and a half and wet from head to toe, I finally was able to drop off my negatives to be scanned. I'm sure I looked like a nut job, but they were nice enough not to mention it. I giggled all the way home.

And now every time I pick up the hose to water my veggies I think about it and laugh.