Friday, November 13, driving home and listening to the terror that is happening in Paris. Half a block from my street and a car comes out of a school parking lot, against the flow of traffic and straight at me. I try to scoot over but there is another lane of traffic to my left, but I definitely do not want this car to hit me head on, air bags and all that. So I move as far as I can to the left without hitting the car on my left. There is a yellow school bus on my right side. This random wildcat car drives at me, swerves a bit and runs between me and the yellow school bus, sideswiping me as it goes, to the blaring of all the horns in the vicinity. The car bounces off me and somehow, since everyone in both westbound lanes of traffic can see what's happening and thus can give it space, the car maneuvers around and finally gets in the eastbound lanes and speeds away.
This, as is common, happens in about 3 seconds. I pull to the curb, get out of my car and yell, at the top of my voice "FUCK" a couple of times, which sort of relieves some of the adrenaline that was plowing through my body. I mean, I really yelled it, not like some lady-like yell but a huge, mean, angry yell. Thankfully, the guy in back of me pulled over as well, (he was not daunted by my unlady-like cursing) and he had what he thought was the license plate number, and gave me his name and phone number, and helped me wrench off a piece of the car that was hanging. I drove home, about a hundred yards away.
Sigh. Insurance pays for most of it, but not all. Then, just 5 days later, the car is running rough, really rough, gets worse and worse so I had to take it in to the tune of more than $700!!!!
But I am fine with it all. No one is shooting at me, my life is not in peril, my family is not in danger, my life is simple. I still have water when I turn on the tap, my poop still goes away when I flush the toilet, I don't have head lice and I can pay my bills, sort of. Healthy and reasonably happy, well-fed (my large spare tire can attest to that) and well-lubricated with self-medicating ounces of alcohol, I am so fine it's pitiful to even mention the car. But hey, it's what we do, share our down moments with friends and then share the up ones as well. And to watch the threat of terror around the world makes anyone with a brain just shut up about the small fuck-ups of everyday life.
This week is Thanksgiving, of course, and if you have a computer and can read this, you have tons to be thankful for. Electricity, for one. A computer for another. A roof. A toilet. (Thank that water system every time you flush.) Some pasta or rice and a pot to cook it in. Friends. Some warm clothes, someone to hug or at least talk to, maybe a small grateful dog or cat or goldfish, maybe a simple mug to hold a cup of tea. There is always something. Bread. Apples. And what about those trees outside, the ones that are blazing with color! If a person can't be in awe about seeing that, a person has some explaining to do.
Cars, costly but necessary. Life, so much more in every way. And so much better as well.
LTBT
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