Wait and see how I fix this ....
I have been struggling with how to come out of the tailspin of the week ... caused by the daily unfolding of the saga of my wheels ... and this is the response I have been given.
Somehow I have managed ... each day ... to not let the fresh challenge get the best of me. And I have determined to not let the money worry get the best of me ... either.
... and I managed to get to Friday morning before a little bit of panic set in.
... and I managed to get to Friday morning before a little bit of panic set in.
Cupped tires had been making noise for sometime. Two had already been replaced and the second two were due. Last week the left rear tire started making a new noise ... that involved an irregular thumping and at times a rattle.
So I called to see if I could bring it in for those other two tires last Friday. It was a stock tire but on that particular day there weren't any handy. So my auto guy said he'd have them there on Monday.
Still, I was very worried about the new noise. It just didn't feel or sound right. Figured it would be a good idea to switch it for the spare over the weekend. Those of you who have known me for a while may remember that my tires have a "key" ... I discovered that a couple of years back when I had my Flat Tire adventure.
Based on that experience, I figured I might need a little muscle ... to get that tire changed. So I texted a good friend ... "I need a gosh-darnit-I-don't-have-a-man-in-my-life favor!"
Of course, he said he'd be there for me. First thing Saturday morning. And he was.
Thirty minutes in ... and absolutely no budge on the final lug nut ... the one requiring the key ... he defeatedly suggested we call around and see if there was any place open with a power tool socket thingy that would let us come over to loosen it.
As we drove the few blocks ... he heard all of the noises ... and agreed that it was a good thing I was getting that tire off .. pronto!
Took two attempts ... with the power tool ... for the guy at the garage to loosen the bolt. He assured us that there was no shame or lack of masculinity ... in not getting the dagburn thing .. to turn!
Whew! My friend's hero status was still in tact!
After that .. it was a cinch! Tire off .. spare on ... and the noise was gone as we drove back to the house. Except for an occasional troublesome rattle.
On Monday, I arrived for my scheduled tire appointment. The shop was in chaos ... cars parked every where ... waiting for their turn ... and a service guy ... was pretty much running the office.
It was obvious that he was having a .... MONDAY!
"I have good news ... and bad news." That was his opening gambit. The good news was that my tires were there ... he would get them on ... that day ... eventually. But not right then. Apparently there was an issue with the air compressor.
Everything was backed up.
Refusing to be fazed by the setback .. I smiled and said ... "No problem ... I put the spare on over the weekend ... would it be better for you if I came back tomorrow?
He looked so relieved. And he promised if I came back at the same time Tuesday he would get me in and out promptly.
In a way that was a blessing. Because the money that I was going to use to pay for those tires ... didn't materialize as expected on Monday. It was now going to be Tuesday.
I had to smile ... God had it all under control ... after all.
Bright and early ... Tuesday ... I went for my walk around the neighborhood. It was dark when I left my house and the sun was barely showing as I was making the return lap. I was a couple of streets over from my house ... and a man came quickly to the edge of his driveway ... and called out ... "You wouldn't happen to know anyone in the neighborhood who has an air compressor, would you?"
Hot and sweaty ... I think the humidity was like 900% ... I stopped to speak to him. It seems that he was heading out to work and the tire on his truck was flat. So he quickly & efficiently switched it for the spare .. thinking he would drop it off on his way in and have it checked out or replaced ... only to find that the spare was flat, too.
He said he'd lived there a couple of years ... but really didn't know his neighbors. I can relate to that.
I told him I was sorry that I really couldn't help him ... that I didn't know many people in the neighborhood ... or anyone with an air compressor. I continued my walk ... leaving him there facing his problem ... alone.
As I walked the rest of the way to the house, I pondered on the disconnect of neighbors. And how people become so busy ... living out the routines of their lives ... so guarded and protected ... never letting anyone close enough to be a neighbor .... much less a friend ...
Then one day there you are ... facing a situation ... AT HOME ... and you realize you have no one to call ... that you can count on to help you out ... or maybe ... there are people you could call ... but somehow you don't feel like you do ...
Yeah. Been there a time or two myself.
So I opened my trunk ... and dug out my mini air compressor ... the one that plugs into the cigarette lighter of the car ... that I use to put air into my tiny little lawn mower tires. And on random other occasions ... has managed to push enough air into a car tire to get to a service station for REAL air.
It's one of the best $9.99 purchases I have ever made!
Feeling silly, I hopped in the car and headed back around the corner. I had very little confidence that the little-air-compressor-that-could would be able to make an impact on that big ole truck tire ... but it was all I had to offer ... and it was worth a shot.
My neighbor was totally stunned when I showed back up. And he looked with total skepticism at my solution. Maybe it would somehow generate enough air to get him the few blocks to the service station ... just maybe.
So he hooked it up ... and let it whir.
He told me his name ... I told him mine. He never got it. I told him three times that it was "MaryJane" .... and each time he responded by calling me "Mary".
Time has taught me that somehow that's part of the disconnect ... people only half listening ... for fear of giving anything away. When they don't hear the "MaryJane" ... I know they are pretty locked up ... afraid of being real and genuine.
He shared bits and pieces of his story. Divorced several years ago ... two grown children ... moved here because it puts him mid-way between work and his aging mother. I shared a little bit of mine as well.
The whirring continued .... and it seemed that a little bit of air was getting into the tire.
Somewhere in the conversation ... he thanked me for coming back ... for trying to help him.
He said, "I will be glad to pay you."
"For what?" I asked. "For taking the time ... for caring," he replied.
It was obvious he was lonely. He told me he hadn't really made any friends since he had moved into the neighborhood. He knew the first name of his next door neighbor and that was about it. He said that he had visited a couple of different churches ... but that neither had seemed to fit him just right ... he hadn't found one that gave him that sense of belonging ... yet. I invited him to mine.
"It's non-denominational, isn't it?" "Well, yes, it is." "Oh....."
I shared a little bit more ... about a place called Grace ... but I think it was kind of like me telling him my name was MaryJane ... he'd already stopped listening before I got to the third syllable.
By this time it was obvious that the little air compressor would have to work all day to even begin to inflate the extremely flat tire ... to add enough air to even wobble down the street.
So we discussed his options.
Enough time had passed that it was likely that someone was going to be at the tire place he was planning to go to all along. So it was decided that he would give them a call and explain his situation. Hopefully, they would send someone out with a BIG compressor to put enough air in the spare to drive on over ... for some new tires.
The sun was completely up and I needed to get on with my day. I gave him my card ... it said
"MaryJane Sawyer" ... and told him I would be working from home until about noon ... and to give me a call if he needed a ride anywhere.
"That's really nice of you, Mary. And thanks again for trying to help." That's what he said. I guess it was really the best he could do.
Later in the day, I took my car back for my tires. And things at my car place were still a little hectic but not as bad as the day before. The shop guy was still running the office ... because the office guy was still out ...
On the drive home I was relieved that there was no longer any tire noise ... or the thump noise that had caused me so much angst.
All in all it was good day ... even though ... the money thing hadn't sorted itself out on Tuesday either.
Wednesday was a full day ... with a bit of highway driving. That's not unusual. I have to drive a distance to most anywhere I am going. By Thursday afternoon, the occasional rattle ... had turned into a consistent, persistent racket.
And I was thinking this was probably not a good thing!
Based on that experience, I figured I might need a little muscle ... to get that tire changed. So I texted a good friend ... "I need a gosh-darnit-I-don't-have-a-man-in-my-life favor!"
Of course, he said he'd be there for me. First thing Saturday morning. And he was.
Thirty minutes in ... and absolutely no budge on the final lug nut ... the one requiring the key ... he defeatedly suggested we call around and see if there was any place open with a power tool socket thingy that would let us come over to loosen it.
As we drove the few blocks ... he heard all of the noises ... and agreed that it was a good thing I was getting that tire off .. pronto!
Took two attempts ... with the power tool ... for the guy at the garage to loosen the bolt. He assured us that there was no shame or lack of masculinity ... in not getting the dagburn thing .. to turn!
Whew! My friend's hero status was still in tact!
After that .. it was a cinch! Tire off .. spare on ... and the noise was gone as we drove back to the house. Except for an occasional troublesome rattle.
On Monday, I arrived for my scheduled tire appointment. The shop was in chaos ... cars parked every where ... waiting for their turn ... and a service guy ... was pretty much running the office.
It was obvious that he was having a .... MONDAY!
"I have good news ... and bad news." That was his opening gambit. The good news was that my tires were there ... he would get them on ... that day ... eventually. But not right then. Apparently there was an issue with the air compressor.
Everything was backed up.
Refusing to be fazed by the setback .. I smiled and said ... "No problem ... I put the spare on over the weekend ... would it be better for you if I came back tomorrow?
He looked so relieved. And he promised if I came back at the same time Tuesday he would get me in and out promptly.
In a way that was a blessing. Because the money that I was going to use to pay for those tires ... didn't materialize as expected on Monday. It was now going to be Tuesday.
I had to smile ... God had it all under control ... after all.
Bright and early ... Tuesday ... I went for my walk around the neighborhood. It was dark when I left my house and the sun was barely showing as I was making the return lap. I was a couple of streets over from my house ... and a man came quickly to the edge of his driveway ... and called out ... "You wouldn't happen to know anyone in the neighborhood who has an air compressor, would you?"
Hot and sweaty ... I think the humidity was like 900% ... I stopped to speak to him. It seems that he was heading out to work and the tire on his truck was flat. So he quickly & efficiently switched it for the spare .. thinking he would drop it off on his way in and have it checked out or replaced ... only to find that the spare was flat, too.
He said he'd lived there a couple of years ... but really didn't know his neighbors. I can relate to that.
I told him I was sorry that I really couldn't help him ... that I didn't know many people in the neighborhood ... or anyone with an air compressor. I continued my walk ... leaving him there facing his problem ... alone.
As I walked the rest of the way to the house, I pondered on the disconnect of neighbors. And how people become so busy ... living out the routines of their lives ... so guarded and protected ... never letting anyone close enough to be a neighbor .... much less a friend ...
Then one day there you are ... facing a situation ... AT HOME ... and you realize you have no one to call ... that you can count on to help you out ... or maybe ... there are people you could call ... but somehow you don't feel like you do ...
Yeah. Been there a time or two myself.
So I opened my trunk ... and dug out my mini air compressor ... the one that plugs into the cigarette lighter of the car ... that I use to put air into my tiny little lawn mower tires. And on random other occasions ... has managed to push enough air into a car tire to get to a service station for REAL air.
It's one of the best $9.99 purchases I have ever made!
Feeling silly, I hopped in the car and headed back around the corner. I had very little confidence that the little-air-compressor-that-could would be able to make an impact on that big ole truck tire ... but it was all I had to offer ... and it was worth a shot.
My neighbor was totally stunned when I showed back up. And he looked with total skepticism at my solution. Maybe it would somehow generate enough air to get him the few blocks to the service station ... just maybe.
So he hooked it up ... and let it whir.
He told me his name ... I told him mine. He never got it. I told him three times that it was "MaryJane" .... and each time he responded by calling me "Mary".
Time has taught me that somehow that's part of the disconnect ... people only half listening ... for fear of giving anything away. When they don't hear the "MaryJane" ... I know they are pretty locked up ... afraid of being real and genuine.
He shared bits and pieces of his story. Divorced several years ago ... two grown children ... moved here because it puts him mid-way between work and his aging mother. I shared a little bit of mine as well.
The whirring continued .... and it seemed that a little bit of air was getting into the tire.
Somewhere in the conversation ... he thanked me for coming back ... for trying to help him.
He said, "I will be glad to pay you."
"For what?" I asked. "For taking the time ... for caring," he replied.
It was obvious he was lonely. He told me he hadn't really made any friends since he had moved into the neighborhood. He knew the first name of his next door neighbor and that was about it. He said that he had visited a couple of different churches ... but that neither had seemed to fit him just right ... he hadn't found one that gave him that sense of belonging ... yet. I invited him to mine.
"It's non-denominational, isn't it?" "Well, yes, it is." "Oh....."
I shared a little bit more ... about a place called Grace ... but I think it was kind of like me telling him my name was MaryJane ... he'd already stopped listening before I got to the third syllable.
By this time it was obvious that the little air compressor would have to work all day to even begin to inflate the extremely flat tire ... to add enough air to even wobble down the street.
So we discussed his options.
Enough time had passed that it was likely that someone was going to be at the tire place he was planning to go to all along. So it was decided that he would give them a call and explain his situation. Hopefully, they would send someone out with a BIG compressor to put enough air in the spare to drive on over ... for some new tires.
The sun was completely up and I needed to get on with my day. I gave him my card ... it said
"MaryJane Sawyer" ... and told him I would be working from home until about noon ... and to give me a call if he needed a ride anywhere.
"That's really nice of you, Mary. And thanks again for trying to help." That's what he said. I guess it was really the best he could do.
Later in the day, I took my car back for my tires. And things at my car place were still a little hectic but not as bad as the day before. The shop guy was still running the office ... because the office guy was still out ...
On the drive home I was relieved that there was no longer any tire noise ... or the thump noise that had caused me so much angst.
All in all it was good day ... even though ... the money thing hadn't sorted itself out on Tuesday either.
Wednesday was a full day ... with a bit of highway driving. That's not unusual. I have to drive a distance to most anywhere I am going. By Thursday afternoon, the occasional rattle ... had turned into a consistent, persistent racket.
And I was thinking this was probably not a good thing!
Stopped back by my auto place ... and things seemed to be back to normal. Office guy was in the office ... and service guy was back running the bays.
"There's this really bad rattle," I said. "On that wheel where the tire was replaced.
The office guy didn't look happy. He said they'd take a look. Quickly my car was pulled in and put up on the rack. And he returned with a somber look on his face.
"It's not good." That's all he said as he motioned me out into the bay. There he showed me the rear strut ... dangling ... totally disconnected from the strut plate ... and the frame.
I had no idea what those things were until that moment. But even I could see that it didn't look good.
The office guy didn't look happy. He said they'd take a look. Quickly my car was pulled in and put up on the rack. And he returned with a somber look on his face.
"It's not good." That's all he said as he motioned me out into the bay. There he showed me the rear strut ... dangling ... totally disconnected from the strut plate ... and the frame.
I had no idea what those things were until that moment. But even I could see that it didn't look good.
After much discussion, he told me that there was no way he was going to let me drive the car ... anywhere. It was simply too dangerous. So he ordered parts .... expensive parts ... to be delivered that afternoon. He dispatched a driver to take me home ... and told me he would call me the next day when it was ready ... and he would send someone back to pick me up.
So there I was ... deposited at my house ... forced to cancel a full day of productive appointments on Friday ... and facing an unexpected expense ... that wasn't going to be met easily ...
So there I was ... deposited at my house ... forced to cancel a full day of productive appointments on Friday ... and facing an unexpected expense ... that wasn't going to be met easily ...
even if I opted for plan c.
"Live in the moment. Focus on today. Trust me." That's what my best friend, God,
"Live in the moment. Focus on today. Trust me." That's what my best friend, God,
Creator of the Universe had been telling me ... for weeks and weeks.
And I have been focusing on the daily choice of gratitude .... determined to only focus on the good things ... things for which I am grateful .. each day for the next 90 days. And each day ... of this week .. I have somehow managed to be grateful for the setbacks ... and unexpected tribulations.
Friday morning I was up bright and early. And I took my walk. I was struggling with the gratitude thing ... the pressure of paying bills ... and now these "extras" ... creeping in ... I am ashamed to admit that I ranted ... just a little bit ... and that's when the whisper came ...
I ruefully laughed. As I walked. I heard it loud and clear ... twice. I could feel the truth in the words ... that were intended to soothe my jangled nerves ... to give me confidence to face the day.
I wanted to believe ... still there was an undercurrent of doubt ... as I told myself that I was going to focus on today ... as it unfolded ... and wait to see .. what was revealed.
And I have been focusing on the daily choice of gratitude .... determined to only focus on the good things ... things for which I am grateful .. each day for the next 90 days. And each day ... of this week .. I have somehow managed to be grateful for the setbacks ... and unexpected tribulations.
Friday morning I was up bright and early. And I took my walk. I was struggling with the gratitude thing ... the pressure of paying bills ... and now these "extras" ... creeping in ... I am ashamed to admit that I ranted ... just a little bit ... and that's when the whisper came ...
"Wait and see ... how I fix this ..."
I ruefully laughed. As I walked. I heard it loud and clear ... twice. I could feel the truth in the words ... that were intended to soothe my jangled nerves ... to give me confidence to face the day.
I wanted to believe ... still there was an undercurrent of doubt ... as I told myself that I was going to focus on today ... as it unfolded ... and wait to see .. what was revealed.
Not long after I got home from my walk, the phone rang. "Are you ready for me to come get you?"
I was stunned. I had anticipated mid-morning at the earliest ... and here it was barely time for most businesses to be open ... and my car was ready. It seems that they stayed into the evening on Thursday in order to have me back on the road ... first thing Friday.
What was wrong with my car ... wasn't their fault. They showed the part to me ... out there on the floor of the garage.
I was stunned. I had anticipated mid-morning at the earliest ... and here it was barely time for most businesses to be open ... and my car was ready. It seems that they stayed into the evening on Thursday in order to have me back on the road ... first thing Friday.
What was wrong with my car ... wasn't their fault. They showed the part to me ... out there on the floor of the garage.
Somehow .. over time ... the bolt that held the strut to the frame had become loose. Over time it had rubbed and flopped ... causing the hole it was run through on the plate ... to wear ... growing in diameter due to the stress ... until the bolt WITH the nut attached ... simply fell through when the car had been put up on the rack.
Apparently ... the only thing holding it in place for .... who knows how long ... had been the weight of the car's body.
It was an accident just waiting to happen ...
Still, they felt a tremendous amount of responsibility for not noticing anything was amiss ... when they had it up on the rack ... on Tuesday ... replacing & rotating the tires.
I thanked them for caring about me as a customer ... and a person. And both the office guy AND the service guy said, "No problem, MaryJane, you are important to us." What was really significant is that they got my name right ... this time ... after having called me "Miss Mary" all week.
That's how I knew it was real and genuine.
Sure there is still a pretty expensive bill ... but somehow I will get it covered ...
As the day unfolded ... some other unexpected, unplanned things happened. Some were nice things ... others were, well, let's just say ... not good.
I have faced the weekend with a little bit of hope ... a little bit of faith ... because of the promise that came before the day had even gotten underway ...
It's amazing what God can do ... if we bring just a little hope .. just a little faith. That's what Del said this morning. And we sang that song that says ... all things work together for my good.
And at some point, He nudged me ... "You just keep showing up, MJ ... with your mini-air compressor ... what you're offering may not seem like much to you ... but to someone else ... just knowing that you care ... means everything in the world."
Tomorrow ... it's Monday ... again. And I am ...full of encouragement and anticipation ... you see, His promise ... on Friday ... it isn't just about my tires ... it's about a lot of wheels a-turning ... so I will face the weeks ahead ...
... waiting to see ... how He ... fixes ALL of this!
www.lifelessons-mj.blogspot.com
Sure there is still a pretty expensive bill ... but somehow I will get it covered ...
As the day unfolded ... some other unexpected, unplanned things happened. Some were nice things ... others were, well, let's just say ... not good.
I have faced the weekend with a little bit of hope ... a little bit of faith ... because of the promise that came before the day had even gotten underway ...
It's amazing what God can do ... if we bring just a little hope .. just a little faith. That's what Del said this morning. And we sang that song that says ... all things work together for my good.
And at some point, He nudged me ... "You just keep showing up, MJ ... with your mini-air compressor ... what you're offering may not seem like much to you ... but to someone else ... just knowing that you care ... means everything in the world."
Tomorrow ... it's Monday ... again. And I am ...full of encouragement and anticipation ... you see, His promise ... on Friday ... it isn't just about my tires ... it's about a lot of wheels a-turning ... so I will face the weeks ahead ...
... waiting to see ... how He ... fixes ALL of this!
www.lifelessons-mj.blogspot.com
(c)September 2012
I really enjoyed this blog. Thank you. This is a lovely perspective.
ReplyDelete~ LK (via email)