A Week in Review

Hello. It’s Friday afternoon, and my eyes are droopy. I wonder if I can write A Week in Review in my sleep? Let’s give it a try.

Lessons I’ve Learned from my Car
Remember that old piece of junk that I drive? I don’t know if it’s junk, or just needy and begging for attention, but this week it’s had plenty of people looking at it. The clutch went out. But before that happened, last Thursday, another hose broke. I called Barry when I got home, and he came over to help me. This hose was harder to get at than the last one, so he had to put off actually replacing it until Saturday morning when he had more time and better tools. Friday Melissa drove me to the train so that I could get to and from work, and she helped me run some errands, too, and then took me to the store on Saturday. Barry showed up at the store Saturday afternoon with my keys and told me that the new hoses were in place. He took care of two of them, and said that as far as he could tell all hoses in that car are now new. What a relief. It should be some time before I see smoke coming out from under the hood again.

Everyone was so nice to help me, and I was thinking about and appreciating that over the weekend. I’m a pretty independent person, and like to take care of things myself. In the past when I’ve had car trouble I’ve managed to handle it without inconveniencing too many people. But, I learned last weekend that it is ok to ask for some help, and that people are actually willing to do what they can. That sounds kind of cliché, but it was a revelation to me. I go through too many of my days feeling like I am on my own, but that’s not true is it? Family and friends are there not just for having fun (and feeding me good Sunday dinners) but to help when needed. I hope that these people know that I will help them, too, if they ever need me.

But that’s not the end of my car drama. The clutch had been acting funny for a few a weeks, and on Monday it got worse. I really had to work to get it into gear. Replacing the clutch is beyond Barry’s time, talent and toolbox, so I called for some professional help. I remembered that Tiffany’s father owns a repair shop, and having had some unhappy experiences with my usual mechanic and their usual crap, I wrote to her for some information on her dad. She wrote right back again with his phone number, and had even contacted him to tell him that I’d be in touch. Nice. I set up an appointment to bring it in Thursday morning.

Wednesday evening I had some trouble getting home from work. That clutch was gone. So I was worried about driving it to the shop the next day, and wondering if I’d get it started or would I need a tow truck, and then how would I get to work because Melissa would already be gone for the day and I can’t take a day off with my vacation coming up, and then how do I get to the shop to pick it up again…blah, blah, blah. My brain carried on while my stomach tied up in knots. I prayed for help, and asked that I would be able to drive it to the shop the next day. That was all I needed, just one more trip, just get it to the shop.

Later I was watching tv, and fretting, and telling myself not to stress so much, and then I had a thought, “In the grand scheme of things, what happens tomorrow morning doesn’t really matter that much.” I don’t know what sparked it, but as soon as that thought ran through my mind I felt relief. Really, it’s just car problems. A pain in the neck yes, but not such a big deal, and nothing like the much harder things that so many deal with every day. Finally I had a practical perspective, and got through the rest of the night without developing an ulcer. The next day I drove my car to the shop, with some trouble, but I got it there. Tiff’s very nice father gave me a ride to the train; I went to work, and the repairs were done by the end of the day. Done and done. Now it’s running like a dream.

Lessons learned from my car – I don’t have to do everything by myself. In fact there are very good people all around who will help. And, get some perspective. Most problems are not life altering, and most of them work out just fine. My credit card might not ever recover, but still, I’m fine.

I think that’s it for now. Thanks, as always, for your constant excellence.
You are loved.