Gandalf the Black in the snow

Today was interesting as I got out of my apartment to go to the office unnecessarily due to someone thinking it is a good idea to continue learning English through wet snow and ice.

Before I go over what happened, I must tell you of this staff I found. Well, walking stick.

A few years ago, I was in the Tatra mountains with this lady who I barely knew, hiking. We went through a public cave; a tight fit in certain areas, but there was a line of people going through it as if it were a ride in Disneyland. Unlike Disneyland, one can touch the walls, the ceilings, and everywhere else, though be wary of their own bodily detriment. There were hardly any fences, borders ropes, or low-ceiling cushions through the darkness.

As she and I went through, over a small crevice, I saw two wooden walking sticks, laid out on a semi-flat surface, as if on a pedestal for the spirits that may have inhabited the cave. I am one to trust my gut instinct for I dared not to disrupt the cavern beings if I could feel the ting of trepidation.

However, since I didn’t, I snatched one of those walking sticks for myself and left the other one behind. Some folks behind us took the other and we got out of the cave with a souvenir of our journey. All in all, thankfully did not have luck with the lady I was with and I am a much better person for it.

Now, this walking stick is not, from my knowledge, something you buy easily in a store. There are no ornaments, no postage or advertising logos on it. It is a simple lightly-colored wooden stick that is about 130 cm long. It is fairly sturdy, having used it to walk through forests, mountains, and through hectic weather conditions like what we have now: ice and snow.

Now that you have an idea of what this stick looks like, imagine going through your modern city street walk and you see someone wearing a black business coat, cargo pants, boots, and this walking stick.

No. I mean STAFF.

Well, I get out of the apartment to the street, rushing to catch the bus and lo and behold, down the street, a car and a snow plow right behind it come towards me. The car, driving backwards, turned into the bend and ended up getting stuck. The snowplow sees the trouble but backs up a bit to give the driver a chance to course correct.

However, the area near my place is not excellent for driving so the person was stuck. So was I because I had to get up that path or else take the long way around to get to my bus stop. So, holding onto my stick, I ask the driver for help. It was a young kid, but they accepted.

Not sure if any of you ever helped a car get out of a ditch, but is it supposed to be so easy? Just move the car back and forth and then push it forward when it gets to a certain spot. That’s what happened when I moved with my Staff in hand the whole way through.

After pushing the driver out the way, they reversed and beeped their horn to me in thanks. The snowplow followed ahead, the driver seemingly indifferent to the situation.

As I went my path upwards, another group of drivers were attempting to get their car unstuck from the snow. I showing up with my staff offer my services and assist and again, get them moving again.

Now, was I the catalyst to their salvation? Yes. Yes I was. I mean, sure, they would have figured it out eventually but I must say, if I were in their shoes and I saw a stranger with a staff offering their help and then when they arrived, things worked, I would say that they were magic.

I became Magic today. I was the mystery. It was awesome.