BAM!… Damn!

An automobile accident, a sudden illness, a friend in need – it’s amazing how rapidly a single event can change the course of your day… or your life.

I can’t help but think of those sorts of catastrophes as unbidden tests of character or other life traits. Where am I on the flexibility meter?  Able to jump into problem-solving mode or stuck in some sort of unalterable rut?  And how graciously can I deal with all the well-meaning advice of family and friends?   And is my primary partner in life on the same page as I am?

With regard to current events transportation-wise… so far so good.  We’ve never had a car totaled before and we’ve been ‘problem-solving’ to beat the band!  The research opportunities available through the internet have been wonderfully helpful.  Too, we are genuinely grateful for all the commiseration and suggestions of loved ones and friends/acquaintances.

A big plus is that Nyel and I are in perfect harmony!  For now, my greatest challenge is waiting patiently for the insurance company to provide us with bottom lines, for the vehicle we want to be located, for the paperwork drudgery to get accomplished.  Patience doesn’t come naturally to me.  Nyel, on the other hand is patient to a fault!  Together, we balance perfectly.

Coming Our Way

Around the edges, we try not to lose sight of what we had on our plates BTA – Before The Accident.  For me, a writing deadline coming up.  “Stay focused,” I remind myself.  For Nyel it’s “follow doctor’s orders” – which involve routines and regimens, easily disrupted by our after-accident chaos.

In third grade, when my classmates and I were introduced to story problems in arithmetic, I remember that our teacher, Miss Hamilton, said, “Life is a series of problem solving events.”  I didn’t really get the point back then.  Now, however, I’m grateful that I loved the challenge of those story problems.  I think they’ve stood me in good stead over the years. (Although I don’t remember any of those dollar amounts being quite so high.)