Advice
Getadvice from fast-talking Ro
More FMstarPolly Gillespi
T
hereis noway
I willeverbeon
thepodiumafter
a FormulaOne
race.Mypodium
experienceis limitedto
a Waikatointermediate
school’s shot-putevent
once upona time.It’snot
that I am abaddriver,
except forthisonetime...
Last weekend,I decided
to drive toseeMum,and
take her outforcoffeeand
cake at herlocalcafé.I told
her the dogsandfamily
were well,inthatorder.
The happinessofthedogs
always getstoppriority!I
dropped heroff,deciding
to embarkona bitofa
journey andgofora drive
to escape thecity.
AroundMum’splace,
there are about 20 million
roundaboutsandsome
pretty fabulousshops,but
back to theroundabouts.
Normally,I’ma roundabout
ninja. I alwaysgivewayto
my right (politeapplause,
please). I’mneithera
diffi dent norcarelessdriver,
however, theotherday,I
“did bad”.I didrealbad!
It was aperfectlynice
day. It wasnotparticularly
busy and whenI looked
to my right,I somehow
missed a secondexitasI
slid off themainroadand
on to one ofthe 20 million
roundabouts.
As I movedforward,a
grey 4WDtomyright(yes,
they wereintheright,on
the right) wasthere.I heard
a car horn.I stoppedquickly
and they stoppedquickly.
Being inthewrong,
I turned andthrough
the window,likea sad,
gesticulating,apologetic
mime, I said,“Oh,I amsoverysorry.Myfault.I’mso,
sosorry!”
I wasdoingtheuniversal
signsfor“I’msorry”.I put
myhandtomychest,sad
face,puppy-dogeyes,bowing
aswellasmouthing,“Sorry,
I’msuchanidiot!”
Themaledrivernoddedat
me,politelyacknowledging
mymelodramaticbutnever-
the-lesssinceremimed
apology.Thepassenger,
however,wasdoingherown
franticmime.Shewasgoing
off!I couldtell(shewasa
verygoodcarmime)that
shewasyelling,swearing,
punchingtheair,allwitha
hugefrownandbaredteeth.
Ohdear.Shewasa mad-
crazycarmime.
Myex-husbandGranty,
whois a particularlygood
driver,hasalwayssaid:
“Don’tbethepersonroad
raginginthecar.Other
peoplecanseeyou.No-one
canhearyouandyou’lljust
lookstupid.”
Touché,Granty.
AsI pausedonthe
roundabouttodomy
humble,embarrassed“sorry”
mime,seeingthecalmdriver
andthecray-craypassenger,
I madea mentalnoteto
myselftotrytoneverbehave
likethat.Thatwillnotbemy
mimepieceofchoice.
If I’mreallyupset,I may
dotheraisedeyebrowand
casual“ohyousillytwit”
head-shakemime,butnever
theother.
Thatwomanlookedlike
a completepsychoandshe
wasn’tevendriving.Bloody
sillyroundabouts!PICTURE: GETTY IMAGES.
Q
WhenshouldI stop
usinghairdye?I’m 53
andamgrey,soI getmy
haircolouredata salon
regularly.I lacktheskillsto
doit myself.WhenshouldI
concededefeatandgogrey?
● DyeHard,RotoruaA
A hairdressertoldmy
motherwhenshewas
prematurelygreyat 30 that
goinggreywouldageher 10
years.I thinkthathairdresser
wasright.NowI’msayingall
wellandgoodif youhave
shiny,silverhair– gorgeous.
Butwhystopcolouringit if it
worksforyou?I don’tplanto!Q
Webuilta housea couple
ofyearsagoandit was
a verystressfulexperience.
We’renowtryingtofix
thingsthatneedredoingand
myhusbandgetsupsetif I
sayanythingnegativeabout
it,ever.Hesaysweshould
justmoveonandfocuson
gettingit fixed,butmyway
ofdealingwiththestress
is totalkabouthowI amfeeling.Hedoesn’twant
metotalkaboutit,butI feel
frustrated.Anyadvice?
● FixUs!,viaemailA
I thinkyourhusband
is proud,likea lotof
men– andwomen,too,for
thatmatter.Remember
thatblunderswillhave
embarrassedhimandbeing
remindedthathe(although
youareincluded)didn’t
doit rightthefirsttimeis
possiblynotgoingtogo
downwell.Is it worththe
paintohisegoandyourstate
ofbeing?Canyoujustlet
it go,praiseeachotherfor
thethingsimprovedand
concentrateononlytalking
aboutthepositive?I would.Questions
for Polly?
Write to
[email protected] or
Woman’s Day, Private Bag 92512,
WellesleyStreet, Auckland.ASK POLLY
Pollyism of the week
Woman’s Day 69