I was on the way to meditation class Friday night and my tire pressure light came on. The car seemed to be driving fine and I was halfway to class so I stayed attentive to the feel of the drive (which is technically what we’re supposed to do when we drive anyway… there was a time before indicator lights!) and made it to the parking lot. Hopped out of the car, flicked on my phone flashlight (another convenience we once survived without) and there it was: a very flat rear tire and what looked like a going-flat front tire.
I hustled into the building, climbed the stairs, hugged my teacher Lisa and told her what happened. As I was dialing AAA, Lisa suggested I get that squared away and come into the class. Class was only going to be an hour and that’s usually the minimum wait time for assistance to arrive. I thought about it… but I know myself. Even if I had a 5 hour wait time, I would struggle to focus in class. I function best when things are squared away, like I had to clean off a section of my desk before I sat down to write to you today. Now that I think about it though, sitting through the class would have been an exercise in growth for me…
As nerdy-adult as this sounds, AAA is excellent. I’ve used them twice for tire troubles and they’ve been kind and attentive on the phone, as have the service people they’ve sent out. The woman who helped me on the phone was named Destiny (I’m just realizing the beauty in this now). Within 30 minutes, half of the estimated time that Destiny told me), a tow truck arrived. The nice man took a look at the tires—thankfully the front tire was just fine! That rear tire was flat almost to the rim though. When he took the flattened tire off and rolled it toward me, there it was: a shiny silver screw, embedded in the rubber.
He popped on my spare and I was on the road back home before class even let out. I told the bunny-daddy to take my coconut milk ice cream out of the freezer. I needed a dark chocolate treat to balance out my night. Then yesterday, I went to my favorite service station to get my tire repaired. My favorite service advisor Fenix came into the waiting room after about 20 minutes. He had the saddest look on his face when he told me the tire could not be patched. I needed to buy a new tire. I shrugged, smiled and said, “This is all part of owning a car. It’s not like I can 3-wheel it home!” Relief crossed Fenix’s face. I guess he, like many people in service industries, is used to facing angry or disappointed customers. I think I wowed him with my acceptance. In a beautiful exchange, he wowed me with a $20 discount.
I could have freaked out at any turn, like when the light came on, when I thought I had two flat tires, when my plans changed out of my control, when, even with the discount, I paid $150 for a new tire. But I didn’t. I had clarity. I knew how to manage myself by getting it taken care of right away. I knew kindness and gratitude were the answers. I knew that a screw in my tired didn’t mean I was screwed. Building good Car-ma…