Today was a beautiful June Tuesday afternoon and I became that damn damsel in distress. But I’ll get back to that in a moment.
This was so not the post I was going to write tonight but just as with life, things change and quickly. It all began last night when at some point in the middle of the night I tweaked my elbow which caused some serious pain in my elbow down the forearm into the wrist. By the time I made it to my Occupational Therapist’s clinic this afternoon I knew I was in some deep trouble, elbow deep to be exact. Luckily for me my OT is actually a hand specialist which actually means he is an expert in hands, wrists, elbows and shoulders so I was in the right hands so to speak. Forty-five minutes later I was on the path to recovering from my tweaked (i.e. pulled ligament) in my elbow.
With next week’s appointment scheduled, I am off to have my car checked out since my dad noticed some transmission fluid leaking. I am not even out of the parking lot, actually blocking the exit and my truck just stopped driving. Radio still provided awesome seat dancing songs, AC is going but this car is not drivable. I put the truck in park and try to re-start it again and again, and one more time for good measure.
I won’t go into blow-by-blow detail but I can assure you it is not, I repeat, is not the battery. That freakin’ thing has been charged a few times including by the largest tow truck known to mankind. So nope, not the battery.
I stayed calm, which is not usually my strong suit when technology goes wrong and I made the trek to the neighborhood Ace Hardware, literally right next door, to get me some jumper cables because despite all of my dad’s efforts in the past, I don’t have jumper cables in my car. Note to self and you my dear readers, jumper cables are not so helpful when they reside in the garage.
There were a handful of people who made this whole annoying situation so much better than it could have gone. For starters, my children’s father totally helped out by leaving work to try to get my battery working again and with no avail then assisted in lining up a car repair shop and car rental. In a matter of say an hour and half he went to pick up our kids from school, hang out with me while waiting for a tow truck that was an hour late, went and lined up the car rental, came back to take the kids and I to the car repair shop to get the assessment and repair set up. He then jumped back in the car so we could physically pick up the rental car, put the car seats in and then off to a board meeting he goes. Not the few hours he was expecting to spend, that’s for sure.
Then there were the strangers who stopped to help. First was the gentleman who after realizing my car was driverless since I was safely tucked by a tree (I am so not painting the best picture of myself but in my head it seemed like the best place to be). I quickly waved and apologized for blocking a bit of the entrance and he asked if I need helped. “Oh no, I’ve got help coming!” Of course I felt like I had this situation totally covered, but he then said “Let me help push because your car is going to get hit sitting here.” Yup, okay good thinking. Because evidently my being safe by a tree does not equate to my truck being safe in the middle of the exit of a parking lot. (And yes dad, I had my hazards on. See, I did learn some things. Some that is. Still have more to go).
Not 100% sure how good Samaritan number 1 was able to initial push my car over the little parking lot down-angle hump it was over, but he did and I am grateful because he was right, as soon as traffic picked up something would have happened. I did offer him a cold Coke Zero from my Ace Hardware run. Oh, did I not mention the much needed sodas and pretzels I bought along with my brand new jumper cables? If there is anything I can do well is turn any situation into an event with food and drinks. Tree, soda, pretzels. You see where this is going, coping people, it’s called coping.
In the meantime, all that work my OT had done to start the healing process in my arm went out the window when I had to crank the living shit out of the steering wheel to get the car straightened out, but I digress.
The next good Samaritan drove up happened to be a patient of my OT’s clinic. He had offered jumper cables when I went down to the clinic to see if any of the staff had any, but there was no way I was going to disrupt his treatment. While I didn’t need them any longer good Samaritan #2 suggested that if I can get the car started I should go see his car mechanic nephew down the road who would do a free battery assessment. He too was so kind and caring and once again I found myself grateful.
Awhile longer my kids joined in the fun starting with my son asking “Mom! What is going on with your car?” to “Oh mama, it’s going to be okay” followed up with a sweet hug from my daughter. They made alphabet letters out of sticks while waiting for the aforementioned truck which when it did finally arrive it made the kids’ night. Seriously when does one get to watch a flat bed tow truck hook up and make the magic happen to get one’s truck safely secured up on top of the flat bed? It was a 5 year old boy’s dream come true!
While watching the tow truck in action another amazing good Samaritan came to our aid. A lovely woman did not hesitate to pull up next to us and ask if we needed a ride somewhere. I have to admit, I have thought to offer a ride to others but I have never had enough compassion (or guts) to actually pull up and ask. While we did not need to take her up on her offer it made me pause to think what if I needed too.
In fact, when I think back to the whole situation I was blessed from the get-go. It was a beautiful 70 degree afternoon, not a cold or nasty night. The truck stopped while driving which means it could have easily stopped while driving 45 mph on a busy street with my kids in the car. Instead, it stopped in the parking lot of a building I know. I was able to call my children’s father who did not hesitate to help which is because we have a great co-parent relationship, but what if we didn’t? Would he have been willing to be that helpful? A generous man capable of pushing my truck with everything he had went out of his way to make sure the car got moved. But what if he hadn’t even asked if I needed help? Or suggested we get the car moved? What kind of accident could that have caused?
A sweet and caring man who stopped to offer up whatever he could – jumper cables and his family member who could provide an honest opinion. I can only make assumptions here but I know for sure Good Samaritan #2 was just in Physical Therapy so he was either in pain and/or in recovery. He could have easily driven by, fatigued by PT and pain, but instead he took the time to try to help. Perhaps someone has stopped for him or someone he loves and cares about. And the sweet lady who never hesitated to offer my kids and I ride. I have to wonder if she found herself in a similar situation and she was perhaps trying to take away that feeling of uncertainty of “What do I do now?”
Despite the damsel in distress thing which I had not intended, I am quite proud of myself for choosing to remaining calm, enjoy the moments where I had nothing but time, to make the best of it mental place I was in which included snacks. I could have easily been a hot mess. Literally, any other day this could have sent me over the edge, but today, today I did not go over the proverbial cliff.
But more importantly regardless of the reason or what could have been, I am incredibly grateful for the time, energy and compassion these people showed today. Maybe stopping to help was the norm back in the day, but it certainly is not as much these days. I have been given to think about how sometimes just pulling over to ask if someone needs help can make all the difference in the world.
And my tweaked elbow, well it’s still tweaked but nothing ice and more OT can’t fix! Well, PT and acupuncture will get their hands and needles on it too. You know, heat may feel good on the areas of the pissed of nerves. My prescription lignocaine will be helpful too. So for sure, totally fixable…with lots of help and time, lots of time.
Barb Stenholm says
Love your story, Ashley! You are an inspiration.
Ashley says
I can’t thank you enough Barb. It was one heck of a situation, that is for sure, but always trying to make the best of it all!