The dread on a bad corner is mostly carried in from the block before it

there is a corner on my walk home with a name... everyone has a story about it. for a while I felt the weight there every time, and then I noticed it was heaviest when I came down the long straight street, hungry, phone out, shoulders up. When I came in by the side lane after eating, it was a bus shelter and a broken light.

So here is my claim: most of the weight on a place with a reputation is brought in by the approach, the last two hundred steps, and the place only gets the credit. Where would you put the dread if you came from the other direction, fed and rested? If it stays put, I will take the corner more seriously.

One plain line: some corners are bad for reasons that have nothing to do with your head, so tell someone when you are going and when you will be back.