Better safe than sorry

The weather this morning was incredibly stormy.  Rain fell thick and fast, thunder rumbled loud and close, lighting flashed vibrantly and frequently.  Driving was appropriately cautious, with occasional bouts of hydroplaning and sliding.

To say the commute to work was ‘wet’ is a bit of an understatement – it was downright drenched.

Happily, I made it to the parking garage just fine.  As I exited my car, I felt very grateful that my ten minute walk to the office is completely enclosed and sheltered from the elements, and that on days like today I get to stay nice and dry even amid difficult weather.

Now, this would have been more than enough to serve as a lovely smile for today – but three minutes into my walk from the car to the office, the story got a lot more “interesting”.  (Of course it did…)

As I turned a corner and headed down a new corridor, I noticed an older woman approaching me from the other direction.  She was quite a distance from me, but I could make out some sort of object around her neck and chest.  It seemed really poofy and bright – was it some big funky piece of jewelry?  Or a sweater vest?  Or a sleeveless jacket?  The hallway was dim, so I couldn’t see very clearly; I found myself squinting a bit, trying to figure out what she was wearing.  Something just seemed “off”….

After fifteen seconds or so, the woman and I had both taken enough steps towards one another that she was now close enough for my eyes to correctly recognize the object she was sporting: a life jacket.

As in, the buoyant safety device that people typically wear when engaging in boating activities, should they accidentally fall overboard and need assistance floating until they can be properly rescued.

Wow, I guess it was really wet outside this morning!  And to think, all I had was an umbrella….

*wink*

(Then again, maybe I’m out of the fashion loop; this image is courtesy of Reuters coverage of an October 2010 Paris fashion show…)

Stef