The Beauty Of Reflection.

 It has paid off already.

For the last three days I have been stepping about lively with my funky reflective braces. Okay, granted over my thick and bulky winter jacket it does give me a touch of the michelin man, but firstly I am warm as toast, secondly I can be seen at a distance and thirdly, mum told me to!

Winter mornings are notoriously clad in diffuse light. Light that makes it hazardous to walk or even to drive. Seeing and being seen is of the top priority and only now, that I am aware and wearing the necessary gear, do I understand how lucky I have been these last few years. Mornings are often inundated with tired drivers...

The first day I wore the reflectors, I got a fair share of strange looks. Some cars slowed down although I walked on the path next to the road. A runner or two ran past me while matching their greeting with bunched up eyebrows and dare I say a slight smile around the lips. The woman walking her donkey ( now if that isn't an eye brow raiser in itself ) barely managed to hide her surprise and slight derision at seeing me reflect.Fair enough, I am suddenly rather bold and bright.

Fast forward to this morning. A textbook winter morning. Cold, grey and foggy. Real fog that hadn't lifted by the time I got home. Well, was I glad of my reflectors and proud too. I was seen from a distance and more importantly, noticed and not overseen. Most important!

Towards the end of my walk I happened to come across the donkey lady, who suddenly realized how right I was to wear the reflectors. She was clad in dark clothes and she was hard to see in the fog. I think she got the point and I wouldn't be surprised if soon she too would step about in reflectors. Her donkey, not.

Sometimes it isn't easy to go against the norm. Wearing these warning aids doesn't square with being ultra trendy, but as I told myself, at my age comfort and safety take first place and who knows, perhaps I will start a new trend after all...

Biggi