Sept. 13, 2002 ~ Funny how things work out
sometimes. Take car trouble. A few months back, I was using College Boy's car to run some errands. The whole idea was just to fill it up with gas, and while out, I went to the bank. While waiting in the drive-through, the radiator died. There is some other term for it, but steam and water went everywhere. In the drive-through. But this being a small town, I knew the teller. Know many tellers. Loan officers, the bank president, board members, etc. So the friendly teller saw my predicament, came outside and put an orange traffic cone behind the car so others would know not to pull in hehind me, and she took me inside the bank. Help was soon on the way, but in the meantime, I just sat and chatted with everyone, marvelling at how convenient it all was, really, that this had happened when and where it did... rather than while College Boy was on a narrow two-lane highway, one without shoulders, or somewhere even worse.
And yesterday, College Boy called from a nearby gas station, saying that he had just filled up with gas, but now the car wouldn't start. Husband was out of town, the neighbors didn't answer. I told Son that I was on my way and would be there soon. Now, this particular gas station just happens to be across the street from a company where I sometimes give lectures, and the people there are very friendly and kind. Several are good friends. I considered calling them... knew I could, but didn't want to impose. Sure did think about it, though. Just didn't want to take anyone away from their work. So I called the place where we bought the car (used) a few months back, told them my name and that we'd bought the car there, told them the situation, and asked if they could please send someone. Ten minutes later, the nice young man used some kind of handy-dandy jump-start machine and Zoom! The car started right up, and Son was soon on his way home. "Sounds like the battery," said the nice young man. Son took off, and the young man started to walk away. I walked after him, asking "Don't I owe you anything?" "No, ma'am. No charge." Isn't that nice? I thought so. Okay, I expected that might be the case, but it was still REALLY nice of them to do that.
Later that afternoon, when I went to that company across the street for my lecture, they asked where my son was, as he had been helping me carry in my boxes and things, these past few weeks. When I told them about his car trouble, I was met with a chorus of "Why didn't you call me? You could have called me! That's what friends are for! Call ME next time!" and so on. Which also made me feel good. But those people are so nice to me all the time that I HATE to feel like I am taking advantage in any way, however small.
ANYway, my point (and I do have one, I think) is that it's a pain that this happened at all, but it was nice that it happened the way it did, here in our small town, so close to home. And it was even at the place where we usually buy gas. The clerk was not at all troubled that we were blocking one of the pumps. "We've got plenty of other pumps!" she said. "It's not a problem."
No one wants to have car trouble, and I admit that it kind of stressed me out. But when you think about it, it all worked out really well. It seems to happen that way. Could have been so much worse, so much harder to handle. And more expensive!
Oh, and it looks like it was the battery. Not too painful or expensive to replace.
Certain cats are very sneaky. This morning I gave Misha his insulin shot, just like always, and Pepper watched. Then I went to get Pepper's pill, and when I returned... no Pepper. The rascal. He's figured out that he gets a pill after Misha's shot, so he decided to make himself scarce!
In my absence these past weeks, the garden has almost died. The marigolds are gone. It never occurred to me to tell anyone to do it, because I never actually set out to do it. Didn't usually think, "Oh, I'll go water the garden now." It was a case of going outside to do other things, seeing that the garden needed water, and just doing it. Lots of times I feel like I don't do much around here, that Husband does most of the hard work. But then when I can do nothing, as was the case when my back was out, I realize that maybe I do contribute quite a bit. At least, here in our little corner of the world. Nothing of great consequence to anyone else, mind you, but I do contribute. The yard, the garden, the animals, the house. It's just that nothing I do ever STAYS done, so it doesn't really show until I stop doing it.
That's probably the case with a lot of us.
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