In this new but occasional Strength Weekly feature I transcribe snatches of speech that have stuck in my mind over the years. I attempt briefly to analyse their probable significance and their staying power. When I say ’stuck in my mind’ I mean that these snippets present themselves to consciousness over and over without being actively summoned. They just pop up. This may mean that they are important in some way. Or it may not.
Driving west along the M4 in the early 70s with Ian. He says “You’re very close to that car in front.” I say “Yeah.” He says “What if his brake lights weren’t working?”
I had never had a thought like that. I had had anxious thoughts but none with the special intricacy of Ian’s thought. A whole new way of looking at the world - a dull way - opened up. You could be in a situation which contained the potential for risk - take any situation, for example - and you could analyse its components with a view to identifying weaknesses that could precipitate disaster.
This is, of course, not without its merits. However, as I have observed, it is dull. That the snippet often comes to mind is, however, mildly unsettling. It suggests that one is cruising off the coast of a very worrying place. On the plus side, I suppose, is the fact that sometimes when I’m driving along the motorway the thought comes up and I brake slightly in order to recede from a car in front. This has to be a good thing.