Association

The power of association is a strange thing. 

Many years ago, when I was but a young lass... ;-)  We had friends who lived in Pinelands.  Pinelands is one of the older suburbs of Cape Town, characterized by tree-lined roads, large yards, solid and spacious houses.  Although the back end of it bordered on the power station and a dodgier part of town, it was still not a bad suburb to live in.  Or so I always thought it to be.

However.

Thrice now, I've had to pass through Pinelands on my way to do some business in Olivia the Land Rover.  Twice of those thrice, the truck has broken down or given some or other huge problem that threatened break down.  Far from home, with the potential for absolute disaster.

Now one can say it's mere coincidence.  One can go blame ley lines and the local Freemasons (in fact, Pinelands has the first Masonic Centre I ever remember seeing!  a strange and mystical place at my tender age) - the confluence of energy fields that don't do Land Rovers any good.  'Cos the blerry beast has broken down in exactly the same spot, every time.  Hmmm.. perhaps there's something to that theory....

But whatever it is, somehow my view of Pinelands has changed.  No longer a desirable suburb to live in, I now cringe when I pass the turn-off, and literally plot my route to take me around, past, anywhere but through it.  I tense up and start listening for strange noises in Olivia until Pinelands is well behind me.  I do my best not to think about breaking down anywhere near it - which of course is like trying NOT to think about a purple elephant.

So there you go.  Forever after now Pinelands is going to leave a sour taste in my virtual mouth.

Weird hey?