Yesterday I was going to visit my girlfriend in Illinois. On the way back, I took some wrong turns and ended up in Charleston where my tread blew off my tire. So I had to spend about 3 hours in a cornfield next to a church with only one lamppost providing light.
In short, it was a thoroughly unpleasant experience that kept getting worse. I have never had to change a tire so I had no idea what to do and I was far from civilization so I was rather terrified of what else could be out there. My insurance was able to set up roadside assistance, only for the assistance to cancel and my insurance to fail to find a replacement. I called a tow company that ended up unable to send someone out to pick me up so that was another dead end.
I really was not taking it well last night all things considered. I have been through a lot in the last couple years with bad relationships, struggling to find a decent job that fit my interests, and all of the unpleasantness with quarantine so all of the weight of that was bearing down on me hard with my already present sense of panic since I was out in the middle of nowhere. It didn’t help that three of my four closest friends were asleep by now which made me feel even more alone. It made me feel like everything just kept going wrong and everything that did go right, like a good day with my girlfriend, got taken away.
Fortunately, my dad helped me get in touch with the police who came out to help, and, when there was worry that there was more wrong with the car, they sent out a tow truck to address the issue. The tow man was able to help deal with the problem so I was able to drive home that night on the spare. It was 100 miles home at 45 mph, but it was worth it to finally get out of all that.
After getting some sleep and finally calming down the following day, I finally got a chance to think about the positives that came out of that. One important thing was my parents who were able to talk me through everything and get me home. My dad was able to get me in contact with the local police, without whom I would not have gotten out of that situation. My mom also stayed up all night to help me make sure I was awake and safe during the long drive home as we talked on the phone. That would not have been a possibility 20 years ago so I consider myself lucky in that regard.
Even though my insurance and two tow companies blew it last night, the people who did show up were extremely helpful. The officer came out to check to make sure I was alright and he was very respectful while helping me get set up with the tow company. The tow truck driver was also very nice and was able to convince me my wheel would be fine to drive back to Bloomington. There was also a couple who had stopped by to see if I was okay and needed assistance (before I knew what was something wrong with the tire) so I appreciated their kindness. There were still very good people involved in dealing with my problem and I appreciated their effort.
Beyond that, I got to enjoy the earlier parts of the day. My girlfriend took me to see Allerton Park which was beautiful with both the flowers and the statues (especially the Sun Singer). In addition, I got to have dinner with her parents and we got along pretty well. I also got to talk to my sister on the way home which I really enjoyed. So there was still a lot of good that day, even if I wish my tire had not gotten busted.
As I thought about that, I realized there is still a lot going well and that my problems will pass. I had one friend who was able to stay in contact with me that night since he worked the late shift and my other friends checked in on me once they were up. I have started a new job so that provides new opportunity and optimism for where my career is going. Also, I know COVID will pass and things will go back to normal eventually. So I know things are better than I felt at the time and it is important not to lose hope.
Life is a constant and unending series of tests that throw us off our game regularly. How we react to it and the ability to get through it is important to maintain getting through it. Eventually, the rain stops and the sun will come out. It is important though to never lose faith and deal with problems as they come.
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