I resign myself to major disruptions.
Minor inconveniences, on the other hand, irritate me to the point I become unbearable to other people.
For example, Thursday I was driving to a meeting 45 minutes away when a low tire pressure light came on. Now, I despise car warning lights. Like Click and Clack (the Tappet Brothers), I’m always tempted to just stick black tape over the light and ignore it. The last time this light came on, I had a screw in my tire just this close to my tire wall.
Never mind I found a tire plug set and fixed my own tire in a matter of minutes.
The exasperation of taking an unexpected hour and a half out of my day to find and fix the problem threw me off and made me paranoid of every little bump for the next . . .
. . . well, I guess I’m still paranoid.
So, the light came on and – since K and two other passengers were with me – I stopped at the next service station. Seeing nothing in the tire, I filled the low tire, checked the other tires, and filled them as well. Turns out every tire was low. All told I was now behind about 5 minutes.
Fifteen miles down the road and one mile from our destination, I witnessed a one-car accident. A truck to the right of us lost a tire. I did not say he blew a tire; no, the entire tire assembly broke off the axle and rolled into the gutter.
Have I mentioned at any point that it had been raining the last nine hours?
No?
Well, it had. No joke.
This is not his truck. I thought it would be in bad taste to take picture of his dilemma.
Remember: his tire assembly broke off completely and lay in a ditch full of rainwater.
Honestly, it was horrendous.
Thankfully, the motorist made it safely to the side of the road without flipping his truck or hitting another traveler.
My destination was on the opposite side of a divided highway; it just so happened I needed the next available turn-around. So I turned around, dropped off my passengers, and went back to check on the driver.
He was OK, but couldn’t get up with anyone for help. Turns out he was from out of state, in town to do some contracting work, and was due to leave the next day. None of his buddies were answering their phones. I was able to give him a ride back to his hotel where he could meet up with his crew. Traveling home several hours later, his truck was still there.
What would have happened if I hadn’t been delayed?
If I hadn’t been delayed, I would not have seen the accident.
If I hadn’t been delayed, I would not have known to turn around.
If I hadn’t been delayed, I would not have been able to help.
If I hadn’t been delayed, how long would that motorist have had to wait?
Call it coincidence or providence or whatever you will.
Everything worked out in the end.
I’ll try to remember that next time something hinders my plans.
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I rediscovered my signed copy of Last Will by Bryn Greenwood.
Another package arrived, this one bearing The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents by Terry Pratchett.
