pixabay.com

I recently enjoyed what turned into a rather meaningful conversation with a nice man from India I met at a social gathering for local writers. He is a well-traveled business man and writer who had had many cross cultural adventures as he traveled from place to place. I enjoy different cultures and peoples and feel I learn much from exchanges with them.

As we sat enjoying our refreshments, another large group of people came in. They were very lively and noisy and it would have been impossible to ignore them. My new acquaintance was eying them and smiling until another gentle man caught his eye. He sat and sipped his drink and after a minute or two of watching the new comer he muttered:

“Pagaal.”

“What does that mean?” I asked.

“In the slang of your country I believe – Whacko.”

I was a bit taken back and asked my new acquaintance to explain while I stiffed a chuckle because quite frankly he was so serious I dared not show that it struck me extremely funny.

“He is a very odd man, “my acquaintance began to explain, “I have had many conversations with him.”

“Why do you say odd?” I asked.

My acquaintance smiled and said, “He believes in very strange things that don’t even have anything to do with his cultural beliefs. If they did it would be much easier to explain.”

Now said acquaintance really had my attention because if anyone on this beautiful green planet has been subject to the weird and peculiar it is I.

“Please continue,” I requested.

“He believes in some very strange superstitions. For example, he has very little to do with cars because of his superstition. Green cars in particular.”

It just so happens that the topic of superstitions is right up my alley and so much so that I have done considerably focused research on them from historic and even psychological angles.

“It may not be so strange after all,” I chimed in, “Even though cars have a relatively brief history in the history of motorized transport, mythologies, jinxes and misfortune seem to always have been connected to them. Perhaps this man has simply had bad experiences with green cars.”

My new companion nodded respectfully and said: “This would be understandable but he has never owned a green car or travelled in one his entire life. He believes if he ever travels in a green car he will meet with his demise.”

At this point I had to admit to myself that this was indeed a bit whacko but being me, the weirder the story is the more inclined I am to pay more attention to it.

“This sounds like a phobia to me,” I added, “… perhaps he should seek counseling.”

“He has had counseling.”

I thought for a moment, sifting through the file cabinet in my head for something pertinent to add when a long forgotten tidbit popped up.

“From some past research on superstitions, “I added, “Green cars have been widely held, since finishes became available, to be unlucky. If he has been this way since childhood, perhaps it may be some past life trauma that is affecting him.”

“I considered this as well,” said the acquaintance smiling as he continued, “He also has a fear of plaid pants, chewing gum and chopsticks, yet, he is just being his whack self.”

In a tenth of a second flash my understanding kicked in and  I chimed, “Ah yes, must be a past life trauma where he was a sleazy plaid pants wearing lawyer who chewed gum, ate Chinese food in his green Cadillac and is now paying for ripping people off.”

My new acquaintance roared with laughter.

“Now you have dropped all pretense and are being yourself. Let’s continue with a real conversation,” he retorted.

Moral: Always be real even if you happen to be a plaid pants wearing, gum chewing, Chinese food loving, green car hating whacko.
 

Tipping my hat to you all …

Holmes