One day last week whilst I sat, waiting alone in my car, for my wife to emerge from our local supermarket, I released the hand brake on my car.

Although the ground appeared to be flat, the car rolled forward after an ever so slight hesitation.

I quickly pulled on the hand brake and the car stood still.

I began to contemplate what the consequences would have been had I not pulled on the hand brake.

My car would have rolled over the driving lane between the two rows of parked cars and I would have bumped into the car in front of me.

Of course, in the normal everyday action of driving a car, every moment it seems is a risk assessment of the actions I have to take to avoid colliding with another car.

This slowed down focus in the supermarket car park enabled me to analyse and think about the importance of being aware of the presence of a metaphorical hand brake, in respect of my interactions with others.

In recent years, I have honed my skills of controlling my response, and in particular to provocation, to avoid bumping and colliding into situations which I would have better avoided, if only I had taken a moment to react with the caution I apply whilst driving.

The idea of releasing my hand brake and rolling into another car whilst participating passively seems to me to be a ridiculous notion.

But focusing on this aspect, in minute detail, in a quiet moment has enable me, I think to finally understand that my response to others, by pulling on the hand brake will avoid damage to myself and others in much the same way.

My next blog will be: Blocked Out Windows

William Defoe