Swords of Damocles

Posed picture

So, what has poor gonococcus got himself to lately? He's on the run again. Those swords of Damocles hanging all over are threatening to kill, and he'd better get out quick!


I'd bet you'd feel the same way with this behemoth inching towards you from the back, approaching with the vigour of a 9.6-litre turbocharged engine. The ominious rumble behind you reaches a cresendo, then goes low again, only to reach another crescendo, then goes low again, and reaches yet another crescendo. It's in its 3rd gear now. 3rd gear means about 35kmh. I look down at my bicycle's speedometer. 38kmh. Oh no it's edging really close!

Then I saw a man from the side of the road put his arm out towards the road and whew, saved by the bus-stop! Before the bus could accelerate all the way and make pancake out of me!

That's a minute in the life of gonococcus on a bicycle. gonococcus was making all of that up. He knows that he's safe, and that there's much greater danger on the roads to be afraid of.

But somehow gonococcus has recently become numb to the dangers of the road.

gonococcus's in the right turn pocket of the junction, right in the middle of the road. 'Oh I think I can make it in time' thinks him, and he recklessly dashes across to complete the turn.

He survives, but it's not like he's consciously trying to survive, so it's sorta creepy that way, cause he's dependent on his visceral animal instincts to stay safe. No thinking, no concern. Just recklessness and instinct.

Is gonococcus being lazy? Probably. But gonococcus ought not to be lazy anymore, as his friends have been injured on the roads before. He should know better.

But then, gonococcus has gotten a little cynical of life you see, and somehow he feels like if he gets knocked down by that shiny white-orange-purple Volvo Olympian, he'd deserve it anyway. Surely there are people on earth who are more deserving of life, who have more ambitions, than gonococcus, but had their lives robbed by cancer, heart disease, accidents or other tragedies?

gonococcus used to be rather self-destructive. But it seems like gonococcus has switched to using reckless bicycling as a weapon of self-destruction. This is not good.

gonococcus had better find some good reason to keep safe.