Has this happened to you?

Have you ever felt like you're the only one in the whole wide world to whom certain things happen for which there is no plausible explanation? Take, for example, the times you have found yourself gliding along a smooth surface when suddenly your feet seem to trip over an obstacle. You look down surprised, hoping to see a pebble or some debris to account for your stumbling. But there's nothing there. The ground is bare, nothing that can explain your tripping up. For an instant you even think "poltergeist" but dismiss the thought as easily.

A quick look around to see if anyone has noticed your gauche moment and you continue on your way. But this time your eyes are fixed downward, making sure that nothing impedes your progress. Head lowered, you cannot be blamed for failing to see the lamp post which seems to have sprung up overnight. A bone-jarring encounter later, you find yourself seeing a stellar display. But more acute than the pain is the embarrassment.

How about the time you see someone familiar walking towards you, eyes locked with yours, lips moving inaudibly? Encouraged by this sign of friendliness, a smile begins its way across your face as you prepare to ask the person to repeat himself now that you're within hearing distance. As your paths cross, you find the "friend" walking past, lips still moving, no sign of recognition on his face. That's when you realise he's using a hands-free set and the mood you're in by then, you're glad there's no cord to tighten round his neck.

The phone rings and you leap to answer it, absolutely sure that it's your friend whose call you're expecting as the line went dead mid-conversation. So, assuming you can continue where you left off, you resume the blow by blow account of your doings the previous night. Suddenly you sense an uneasy silence at the other end. The perplexed caller tries to cut in with a feeble "I'm not Sheetal" but you hear what you want to hear. Refusing to be interrupted, your monologue continues. There's a sneaking suspicion something isn't right as there are no encouraging words interspersed in your pauses for breath. You stop short as it suddenly dawns on you that you are pouring your heart out to someone who has no idea what it's all about. What's worse, the person is not even an acquaintance.

Sympathetic listener

Horror-stricken, you try to retrieve the situation with profuse apologies even as you think to yourself when will you learn not to shoot off your mouth before ensuring you have the ear of a sympathetic listener.

We are encouraged to let off steam every now and again in order to de-stress and avoid reaching boiling point. Why is it then that when one decides to follow this sage advice the object of one's rant just happens to enter the room, visible to everyone but you? Once in full flow, it is difficult to turn off suddenly. The change in facial expression of your captive audience fails to register for a while. You continue your description of the vile behaviour of your bete noire. There is no forewarning as the listeners are facing the person who has just entered the room. So, there is no way they can give you a signal to stop right there. Just as you wonder why you have lost their attention, a compelling force makes you turn around. And lo and behold you are face to face with the last person you would choose to be with.

Or there's the social setting where you find yourself expounding on your aversion to badly-behaved children as you're of the school that believes in their being seen and not heard. To get your point across, you gesture towards a particular kid whose unruly behaviour has caught your attention. Just as you are warming up to the subject, the child runs across to the person next to you with a "Mummy, I'm hungry".

That's when you put into practice the art of disappearing into thin air. Or at least make a quick getaway.