When my alarm went off this morning at 6 am I was tempted to hit the snooze button and stay in bed for awhile. Luckily before falling asleep last night I pulled back my sleep-friendly drapes that block out the sun. With the heavy material out of the way, the sun was beginning to brighten up the room. In the light I remembered that I was out of coffee.
I quickly pulled on a pair of summer sweats, combed my hair, brushed my teeth and headed for the store, because there is nothing worse than starting out the week, sleeping in, rushing to get your day going only to discover you are out of your much need fuel.
As I was dressing, I remembered a few other items I needed from the store, so walking was out of the question. Buying heavy items or a lot of items is always a good excuse when you live in the burbs to fire up that gas-guzzling SUV and drive ten blocks.
I rounded the corner that gets me out of my cul-de-sac riddled neighborhood and onto the main street and discovered a bus, the kind with the according belly, stuck in the road. Apparently, the driver of this monstrosity had attempted a U-turn and jackknifed the front wheel up against the curb.
This is not a sight a person gets to witness everyday and I knew there was a lesson in it some where. Could it be that sometimes in life you have to bite the bullet and call your boss or your mom or your spouse and admit to doing something incredibly stupid?
As I worked my way safely around the wounded vehicle, I could see the driver on the phone. His body language, head in hand, chin on chest, said it all. No matter how much this driver did not want to confess his mistake, he was never getting out of this mess without help and he knew it.
Perhaps the lesson was just that. On my way back from the store however several patrol cars for the local Sherriff’s department were on hand to help direct the light neighborhood traffic that had to maneuver around the bus. Still no tow truck in sight, but plenty of neighbors and uniformed officers were out talking, smiling, and enjoying the morning sun.
The driver waited in bus. Alone. Mortified, I’m sure. My heart went out to him. Nevertheless, when a mistake is made public a person has to accept the fact the people are going to discuss it, enjoy any humor that can be found in it, and maybe even buy you a cup of coffee to comfort you while you answer the question…so how did this happen?
Another lesson I gather from this is understanding that when you discover you must make a quick U-Turn on life’s journey, be sure you are maneuvering yourself in a way that does not jackknife you completely and cause you to stall, neither returning to where you were or allowing you to go forward to where you’ll be.
I’m so glad I needed coffee this morning. You never know when life will present you with something you don’t see everyday and a chance to review a life lesson or two at someone else’s expense.
