It’s true, I lived a mere two or three hours from the annual Calgary Stampede, and yet, somehow, I managed to miss it every single year. Boo hoo!
But today, I feel fulfilled.
Today, I experienced an actual stampede.
Not one generated for mass amusement.
Oh no.
This stampede had no rodeo clowns or anyone with guns or lassos. It was just Cows vs. Nature..
Or, in this case, Cows vs. Traffic.
I was returning from seeing the acupuncturist – yes, I pay someone to stick needles in me – and the trishaw was going at a pretty good clip – for Sri Lanka – which is, to say, about 50 km/h. For you yanks, that’s about 30 mph. All of a sudden, he steps on the brakes.
Although I don’t actually know if the brakes are foot pedal controlled. For all I know, they’re controlled by hand thingie like a motorcycle, and even there, my knowledge is, oh, less than shaky. Despite the fact that Fahim drives one.
Whatever.
Back to yon stampede.
There was one.
That is, there was a stampede.
Three cows trotting down the road. Or perhaps galloping. Maybe even, yes, I do think so, stampeding.
With three more ten feet behind.