I Have a Story to Tell

It happened last summer. This is a reprise; I posted it on AM, but for lack of something new to write about, I'm sharing it here.
(posted June 25, 2016)

I was running errands when the tire went flat. It wasn't one of those nice slow leaks where you noticed the tire was getting a bit squishy and had plenty of time to limp the car to the nearest mechanic. It was a boom-splat-come-to-an-instant-standstill type of flat. I vaguely remembered something about a jack and loosening the lug nuts in a criss-cross fashion to change a tire, but when I surveyed the damage, it was 'flat as a pancake.' It was beyond my powers to replace it. I was doomed.

Then a cowboy in a white hat strode across the parking lot. At least he could have been. From where I was standing, the guy looked like a hero. Actually he was a salesman from one of the stores. With a warm smile, he offered his help.

After I admitted I had no idea where the tire iron or jack were, Mr. Cowboy knew the situation was more desperate than he had first thought. Rising to the challenge, Bob (that's his name), and a few other employees rigged a jack designed for a Honda to work on the body of the four-wheel-drive. Crawling under, in his perfectly pressed pinstripe suit, he proceeded to get the flat tire off of the car and put the spare in its place.

During this process, a storm began to blow. Where an hour before, I was enjoying the summer sun, now the rain was in full force. Being as prepared for a change in weather as I was for a changing tire, I had not even thrown a jacket in the car when I drove off. But if Bob were lying in his suit on a piece of cardboard on asphalt that was slowly getting wet, I could certainly stand by his side guarding the lug nuts from the winds that threatened to knock the car off the jack.

After the spare was in place, Bob encouraged me to head to the nearest mechanic and have the tire checked. Oh my, I was thinking, the tire change was less-than-adequate. Refusing any kind of compensation except profuse thanks, he hurried back into work as I watched. It was the first time I remember seeing an angel wearing a three-piece suit.

Unfortunately, the next stop at the mechanic's was not quite so inspiring. Redoing the tire change was not a problem. Repairing the four-wheel drive hub that Bob had damaged while changing the tire was of greater concern. And discovering the AAA card in my wallet that promises free assistance in case of a flat, only added fuel to the fire.

The day seemed like a comedy of errors. But better that than a tragedy of despair. It's not that I am a perpetual optimist. It's just that the blessings of the day seemed to outweigh the inconveniences. The tire went flat on a parking lot, not on the freeway. A hero came to my rescue. I didn't have any pressing appointments that I wasn't able to fulfill. The expense wasn't something I'd planned on, but it wasn't going to put me on the bread line either. I learned how to change a tire and how NOT to crack a four-wheel drive hub. And the sun shining through the clouds afterwards, was beautiful, despite the cold. All in all, I chalked the day up to experience and the joy of making a new friend. That's a lot more exciting than anything I had planned. Well, the bread doesn't always land jelly-side down.😅

Life is a grindstone. Everything from minor inconveniences to heartbreaking tragedies rub against us. But our attitudes determine whether events along the way grind us down to nothing or polish us into something beautiful as we rise up to the challenge.