Dusk was starting to fall as I was driving towards the mall on a two-lane road. 

With the headlights taking over the sun in tinting yellow everything within my view, the 2-mile drive to the first intersection was quite pleasant.

I slowed down to stop at the intersection while reviewing my what-to-do list at the mall.

Immediately after crossing an intersection, I revved up the car to counter gravity as I approached a hilly, wide curve ahead of me.

The oncoming traffic, being going-home-from-work time, was quite heavy.

The moment that string of cars started to also accelerate, I chuckled, thinking I was lucky to not be in their I’ve-got-to-be-home-now rush. It was a great moment to relish being a retiree and the freedom from work-related challenges. I could be on the road at whenever, to wherever, and for whatever my septuagenarian heart fancied.

As I was nearing ecstatic joy, the selfish celebration was cut short when my car got close to the wide curve.

The cars on the opposite lane appeared to be driving out of their lane as they came into view at the start of the curve. With their headlights on, it looked like pairs of eyes were coming towards me, one pair at a time!

My heart skipped a beat as my trifocaled eyes saw the first car. The flutter increased as the others tailing the first car followed.

Holding my breath, I immediately stepped on the brakes and swerved right to avoid the perceived collision with the work-burdened horde.

In a quick second, my left, digital brain took control. In exerting its dominance, it dismissed my fanciful right brain’s visual perception as an optical illusion. Indeed, the cars, not pairs of eyes, were nowhere close to the solid white line. The drivers were dutifully maintaining safe distance when their cars appeared at the curve.

As my right brain retreated, I checked the rearview mirror to find out the consequence of my knee-jerk reaction. A rear end fender bender, a clenched fist, WTFs, or other road rage backlash became a concern.

Luckily, I was the only one on my lane – the lone commuter having some free time to go shopping – a sharp contrast to the oncoming convoy. I heaved a sigh of relief!

Happy as a clam, I made it to the mall in no time at all. A few steps inside, I stopped.

For a brief moment I forgot the reason for going there.