A Smile and a Flag - repost

I got up early this morning at 6am to go down to the clinic for my half yearly blood tests, which has to be done fasting. Showered, dressed, just a bit of face cream and eye liner on, into the car and out of here by 6.30 am. .......it was cold this morning, minus 1 C the temp said and there was frost on the grass by the church when I passed. 

Going onto the main road I marvelled at the early sunrise,  just glowing over the koppie and the sun shining into the car gave me a warm feeling of happiness. 

I am always a early riser, but spoiled working from home now and do not have to get into the car and go anywhere, unless I am off to see clients, but that is usually only at about 10 am. There was a lot of traffic, but I was driving against them, they are all rushing off to get on the highway and off to the industrial areas. 

The lab had moved, so had to walk the whole way through the hospital which was bustling with early morning chores, nurses gliding back and forth, early theatre cases being wheeled up. I feel at home in the hospital and know my way around, after all worked there for 5 years, even though that seems a lifetime ago. 

The nurses at the lab is fast and professional, they never hurt me, so I don't mind going there. We even shared a  joke and a giggle. 

Coming out of the parking grounds I spotted some Hadeda Ibis and of course had to go see if Laurel might be amongst them. I will never stop looking for that ring around a leg. 

Getting back onto the main road, the hospital is really only 5 minutes away, I realised bad idea, as now we had the school traffic. Gosh and we were sitting, in 4 lanes, stop start. I looked at the faces, grim and determined, they were, swapping lanes at the slightest chance. What for I am thinking, knowing under the  highway bridge, it will crawl down to 3 lanes and then 2 and then into 1 on 14th Avenue. 

Settling in for the long haul, I again hug myself for being so lucky not to have to do this trip every day. I did for years with the children at school and working out of town, but now I am so privileged.

We are chucking along, stop start, I am watching people, drumming their fingers on the steering wheel, sighing, fighting in the car with the kids or the kids fighting..............they all look bored or irritated, tired so early in the morning......................

well let's brighten things up a bit then................I start waving and saying hello as we go along , with a big silly smile on too.................all of a sudden others are smiling too and waving....................this is fun.................I turn the radio up a bit "I'm spinning around" is playing, so full volume and open the window a bit..................I see people laughing now, so get even sillier. On my back-seat is the South African car flag, that Kenneth gave me, for supporters Olympic 2012......................gets it and hooks it on the window, so nice blowing in the wind, by the time we reach my turn off, me waving bye bye and others hooting, the whole lane is now smiling. So I brightened somebody's day up a bit and got a happy feeling myself......................see.............what a difference just a smile and a flag can make. ...............................

......................oh dear, is that the ambulance from the mental asylum with the boys in white, behind me..........................?????????