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March 29, 2016

5 Things A Flat Tire Taught Me About Life

Published in: AAA, Aging, dentists, driving with a flat tire, flat tire, hazard lights, Midlife, pulling off the highway, what to do if you have a flat tire, what to do when you get a flat tire

I hate going to the dentist – especially when it’s of the oral surgery variety. My mouth has had so much work done that if it were my face I’d look like a Joan Rivers wanna-be (may she rest in peace).

And every time, minutes before my scheduled appointment, I’m so tempted to call their office and say something like, “Sorry, but I can’t make it today. My car got a flat and I’m stuck on the side of the highway.”

But I never do it because I feel too guilty, and besides, I’m paranoid that they’ll see right through that lie, not to mention get pissed at the last-minute cancellation and get back at me by doing a root canal without novocaine. (I’ll never forget that scene from the movie, Marathon Man, when they did that as a form of torture. Poor guy.)

But yesterday, just five minutes into my trip to the dreaded Devil, er, dentist (blame my rather insightful autocorrect for that word switch), I was forced to make that phone call – only this time, the “lie” was not a lie but the truth – and nothing but the truth.

I’d just gotten on the highway. The sun shone sharply through the windows and made me feel hopeful; not only was it finally feeling like spring but maybe the appointment wouldn’t be so bad, after all. I’m tough. I can put up with a little cutting and stitching. I’ve been through worse, after all.

But suddenly my thoughts jolted from the comforting to the disheartening when my car began to feel and move weirdly.

Was it the engine? I quickly glanced toward the dashboard…no “check engine” lights were on. Had I put the car into the wrong gear? Nope, I had it in “drive.” Maybe a window was open and the car was dragging due to the wind?

I lowered the windows, and raised them again….then lowered them once more: Could it be that the odor that wafted in was actually burning rubber?

So I groped around the dashboard, leaving fingerprints in my wake, searching clumsily for the hazard lights while the car waddled toward the next exit, and slowly made my way off the highway, stopping as soon as I saw a clearing on my right – which happened to be smack in front of a old, crumbling cemetery, of all places.

Where I live in New England, there are a lot of old, crumbling cemeteries popping up in the most unexpected places, sporting numbers that date all the way back to the 1800s. I hoped that wasn’t a sign of some sort.

I unlocked the doors, gingerly stepped out of the driver’s side onto the busy road, hugging my body along my car as I walked toward safety onto the sparse, yellowing grass of the cemetery.

Voila – there it was.

Flat as a failed punchline.

I had to do something – and fast.

So, I took out my cell phone, dial up the Devil, dentist, and blurted out what I’d rehearsed so many times in my head: “I have to cancel my appointment. I have a flat.” It’s like the universe didn’t want me to go to the dentist! I then had to call a towing San Jose company to come and collect me. I had no idea what to say, I’d never been through this before but we got there in the end. I then realized I had nothing to do so I just had to sit there and wait to be collected. Luckily, I was rescued and I didn’t have to wait too long but it was such an inconvenience.

flat tire

When I was a girl, my father loved to tinker with cars. And each weekend, he dragged me to all the neighboring junkyards to pick up spare parts for cars he was building in our driveway. He took pride in those cars, and always tried to teach me practical lessons, especially as I approached driving age: Watch me change the oil; here’s how to change a flat tire; now I’m going to teach you how to pump on the gas pedal while simultaneously turning the key so a cold car will start. He taught me the basic things on how to look after my car properly. I know though that if there is a major issue with my car that I should get professional help, particularly if I have issues with things like my engine or clutch control. I would probably have to go and take it into an auto service shop, like this European auto service in Dallas as there are some things that are better left to the professionals.

To be honest, though, if it happened again I would probably just get a professional from this website to change my tire for me anyway. I ignored most of my father’s advice I have to admit! I was bored by the entire ordeal. I might have looked like I was listening and paying attention, but instead was secretly counting the minutes until he finished with his lesson so I could go back to riding my bike or talking on the phone with my friends or memorizing the lyrics to Simon and Garfunkel’s Bridge Over Troubled Water.

Wish I had paid attention. (Shutterstock.com)
Wish I had paid attention.
(Shutterstock.com)

The only thing I did retain was how to pump on the gas pedal – that was easy – but I ended up flooding the engine and at that point the car wouldn’t start, anyway. Then cars became modernized, got fuel-injection and keyless starters – so that one I picked up (or did I?) was soon extinct; a moot point.

(And if I’m wrong about the fuel-injection fact, then it only goes to show you I really wasn’t paying attention, after all.)

So now, as a nod to my now-deceased father, and a lesson to the rest of you, I share my revelations from the other side of a flat tire:

Listen to your elders. When they want to teach you a skill, listen, pay attention and learn. You might be bored or disinterested. Or maybe you think it’s just plain unnecessary. But trust me, one day, it’ll come in handy.

Learn where your car hazard lights are located. Because you rarely use them, chances are you don’t know where that important switch is. Find it, spend some time reaching your hand toward it to cement the memory in your mind. Because you never know when you’ll need those lights to flash, and it’s usually when something is wrong and you can’t think straight or take your hands off the wheel to figure it out.

Make sure you understand your rights when on the roads. Have you ever been involved in an accident involving another car? If so, and you have reason to believe that the other driver could be at fault, you might be entitled to make a claim for compensation. For more information, including how to find a trusted team of personal injury attorneys go to www.keatinglaw.com.

Respect your teeth. Take good care of them. Brush, floss, and repeat. Maybe it’ll save you a visit to the Devil dentist. I’m not saying I didn’t do all this…I just happened to inherit my mother’s bad teeth.

Never leave home without it. Your AAA card, that is. I changed to a smaller wallet recently and neglected to put all my credit cards into my wallet, thinking it was smart to leave them behind, should I have a sudden impulse to shop. Little did I realize my AAA card, which resembles a credit card, was abandoned in my zeal. (All’s well that ends well…when I called AAA, it turns out I didn’t need the card, but having it in my hand would have made the whole process way less stressful.)

Enjoy it while you can. Chances are, if I were 30 or 40 years younger and blonde, a zillion cars would have come to a screeching halt when they saw me standing outside the car, helplessly looking toward the highway (I was keeping an eye out for the tow truck, but they didn’t know that). They probably would have thought I was searching for help; then stopped and acted all chivalrous, offering to change my tire, fighting each other for the privilege (and slipping me their phone number while they were at it.) And then I would have taken a selfie with that hunky and handy blond virile guy and posted it on my Facebook page.

Not that I really wanted anyone to stop – as I get older, I’m kind of wary of those kinds of things – but I can’t lie and say I didn’t feel just a little bad that plain old compassion and empathy were gone.

And worse than the death of empathy and compassion, there was that “other” thing that made me think what many midlife women begin to think:

“Am I invisible, dammit?”

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Comments

  1. Brette Sember says

    March 29, 2016 at 2:36 pm

    A flat is no fun but neither is a root canal! The last time I had a flat I didn’t know what it was either and actually drove it home (not far). Thank god for AAA for sure!

    • Sheryl says

      April 7, 2016 at 6:58 pm

      Yes, Brette, they both rate WAY down on my list of favorites!

  2. Carol Cassara says

    March 29, 2016 at 2:37 pm

    In today’s world I would prefer that no one stop to “help” me… because you never know. I love my AAA card and am perfectly happy to be “invisible”

  3. Mary says

    March 29, 2016 at 3:30 pm

    I wouldn’t do without my AAA service. They have definitely helped out in many situations.

    • Sheryl says

      April 7, 2016 at 6:58 pm

      I know…I’m so happy I have my membership. It definitely makes me feel so much more secure.

  4. lisa Froman says

    March 29, 2016 at 5:24 pm

    Ha, there is nothing invisible about you, my dear, I am the same–can’t change a tire for anything.

    Weirdly, I started having some throbbing in my mouth over the last few days and I am really trying to avoid a trip to the dentist.mthankfuly, I don’t go often, but I am afraid he is going to have me remove my wisdom teeth and I don’t want to deal with it!

    • Sheryl says

      April 7, 2016 at 6:59 pm

      Oh, No, Lisa! Hope your trip to the dentist wasn’t as bad as yo anticipated.

  5. Sandy says

    March 29, 2016 at 6:02 pm

    What a great post! Loved it!

  6. Tam Warner Minton says

    March 29, 2016 at 9:03 pm

    I always remember the best advice ever: if you feel threatened, go to the nearest fire station! I have no idea how to change a flat…it would be tow truck time without my Randy.

  7. Roxanne says

    March 29, 2016 at 10:04 pm

    I keep cards like that in my glove box for that very reason. Glad it worked out, but sorry for the stress. In hilarious TEENAGE memories news, my cousin and I once turned ON the hazard lights when she kept stalling the car at a light (inexperienced with a clutch), then we could NOT get the lights to turn off … and we drove the whole way home with flashing lights. ha ha

    • Sheryl says

      April 7, 2016 at 7:09 pm

      You know, that’s a great idea…why in the world didn’t I think of that?? Funny memory of your hazard lights – you made me laugh!

  8. Lois Alter Mark says

    March 30, 2016 at 4:50 am

    I’m with Carol. I don’t need anyone stopping – just send that professional AAA guy over!

  9. Irene S. Levine says

    March 30, 2016 at 4:09 pm

    Too dangerous to change a tire on the road. So sorry this happened to you!

  10. Kerri @ Living Large in Our Little House says

    March 30, 2016 at 8:05 pm

    What an ordeal but I guess at least you got out of the dental appointment! The last time I had to stop on the road here in the country, two cars stopped to ask me if I needed help. I didn’t, my husband had just forgot to latch the hood (we keep it propped open in the garage so wood rats do not nest under the hood!) But that’s the good thing about living in the country, most people will stop to ask if you need help.

  11. Ruth Pennebaker says

    March 30, 2016 at 8:20 pm

    Boy, do I empathize! Heading toward my second billion-dollar tooth implant myself — but happy my tires are holding up.

  12. Cathy Lawdanski says

    March 31, 2016 at 12:21 am

    Thank goodness for AAA. Good to know you don’t need your card, because I do the same thing periodically when I change wallets. My dad never tried to teach me about cars. He would just tell me to call him (then later my husband) if I had trouble…a different generation.

  13. Rosemond says

    March 31, 2016 at 12:33 am

    Great reminders about teeth, flat tires, respecting the words of our elders, and damn it yes, becoming invisible too. It sucks. #midlifemegaphone

  14. merr says

    March 31, 2016 at 10:06 pm

    I’ve had a couple root canals and all I can say is I’ve found the root canals to be cake compared to when a tooth aches!

  15. Brian says

    December 20, 2016 at 7:39 pm

    I never leave home without my AAA card. It’s so important to have someone who can help you in a bind! Flat tires always happen at the worst possible times.

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What’s this so-called midlife, anyway?

It’s a time of tremendous change, growth and opportunity. A time to re-evaluate our choices, our experiences and ourselves. A time to take what we’ve accumulated up until now and put it to work.

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A High School Student and Aspiring Writer from Australia Reaches Out…

I would love to hear a few things on the prospect from a first hand-perspective, and would be thrilled to learn more about it from you. Your advice is well valued and I’m very grateful to have such wise words from someone with such first hand experience.

I will be looking forward to reading more of your wonderful articles in the future!

Best wishes,

Mikayla

 
Sheryl Kraft
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I would love to hear a few things on the prospect from a first hand-perspective, and would be thrilled to learn more about it from you. Your advice is well valued and I’m very grateful to have such wise words from someone with such first hand experience. I will be looking forward to reading more of your wonderful articles in the future! Best wishes, Mikayla  
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On behalf of our entire organization, we'd like to thank you so much for featuring our product in last week’s Parade Magazine. Due to your article, traffic and sales have been great this past week.! We are a small business that prides ourselves on excellent product quality and customer service. We work hard to make quality products and market them effectively but then sometimes you get a gift like your article which really takes us to the next level. We will be eternally grateful to you for choosing us as one of your eye product recommendations.

 
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On behalf of our entire organization, we'd like to thank you so much for featuring our product in last week’s Parade Magazine. Due to your article, traffic and sales have been great this past week.! We are a small business that prides ourselves on excellent product quality and customer service. We work hard to make quality products and market them effectively but then sometimes you get a gift like your article which really takes us to the next level. We will be eternally grateful to you for choosing us as one of your eye product recommendations.  
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I'm a young medical writer trying to get a foothold in the industry, so the portfolio you have on your website showcasing your accomplishments is something that I'm aiming to achieve. I don't want to take up too much of your time, but I am hoping you can share some advice, tips, or guidance as I work on this, my lateral career change! Thanks for taking the time to read this - I know you probably have much more exciting things to be doing, but just know that your work is inspiring me to continue down this writing path.  
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