I can't seem to stop 'showering'

This weekend, I attended another bridal shower (surprise, surprise, huh? Apparently, this is a side effect of getting invited to so many weddings, which is a side effect of being so damned popular). One good thing about it was the lack of anticipation (and I’m sure the PH appreciated the lack of whining, “I don’t wanna go!” for a month beforehand). But the reason for this? Because they forgot about me. Apparently, the invitations went out weeks ago… to everybody else. The personal phone call four days before the shower was reserved just for me.
Of course, the bridesmaid who called was beyond apologetic and I realize how something like this happens (and am trying not to take it personally), but it did limit the gift options significantly. I had almost decided to go against every fiber of my being and just buy something straight off the registry. Then I heard the bride-to-be’s voice in my head exclaiming, “Oh my gosh, you’re so creative” every time she opens a gift from me. It’s a lot to live up to.
Two trips to Target and one to Home Goods for Pyrex bake ware, wooden spoons, whisks and kitchen-y stuff like that later (I got myself a purse because I still like to think about me even when other people forget…), I was good to go with a fairly creative gift, if I say so myself. It was a baking-themed gift that included the Pyrex stuff off the bride’s registry, a mix for apple crisp, wooden spoons, a whisk and a trivet. And it was all wrapped inside one of those fabric-covered boxes with the best white bow I could manage while brushing my teeth, shaving my legs, making a card and trying to get ready to leave for the shower.
Twenty minutes later, I was stuck in traffic and trying to figure out whether the bride-to-be would be brought along the same route. I did not want to be the one to ruin the surprise by meeting up with her outside a restaurant I had no reason to be at. It worked out for me because she hit the same traffic and didn’t arrive until an hour after the shower started.
Who it didn’t work out for was the three people involved in the accident I got to witness while in the traffic. A guy in a brand new Saab tried to quickly move into the left lane as everything was slowing down ahead of him. Unfortunately, the Cadillac stopped in the left lane refused to move (probably because of the three miles of stopped traffic ahead of it, but that’s just a guess). The Saab creamed the Caddie and I watched as both cars limped over to the breakdown lane. While the Cadillac suffered a bruised and dented bumper, the Saab looked close to totaled. The entire front end was smashed in, the headlights were gone and the hood was buckled.
Thinking about what those three people were in for as they waited for the police, evaluated their cars, called whomever they were going to visit to let them know they would be late, waited for a tow truck and got rides home, I figured attending a bridal shower wasn’t such a bad way to spend an afternoon. It’s all about a sense of perspective, people.