"Choosing" Not to Be Stressed

First, welcome to my brand spanking new blog! It's all shiny and fresh! It still has the new car smell and everything. I have given much thought about blogging, and decided to give it a go after much encouragement (So you all better be reading it! lol). If you are curious about this image, please read below!

On to the story...

Let's keep it as brief as possible! I had an appt about 30 minutes away from work. I leave work and my wonderful car Hugo and I being our journey. Hugo does not currently have AC, but that is ok because we are pretty gangsta. Well, maybe not because I didn't handle it all that well. See, my favorite thing is to be on time- and I was! I was early, way early. So I decided to be proactive and get some gas with my free time. However, my journey to get gas turned into a series of unfortunate events: almost car accidents, people cutting my off, car overheating, turning the heat on full blast to cool engine down, getting stuck in a traffic jam, and going the wrong way on the highway. The heat made everything more intense. I kept it together all the way until my friend didn't pick up his phone and I realized I would be late.

If being on time makes me super happy, imagine how being late makes me feel (and then multiply that by 10). To make matters worse I was HOT, sweaty, red, and ready to drive Hugo off a bridge. But I pulled myself together because I have promised myself I am a new person that does not irrationally loose my temper. I went to my appt and had a grand time and got to relax (I am not being sarcastic). I was at my acupuncturists, who is deep and knowledgeable, and who will get you in touch with your Chi. She Rocks! When I left she told me these very important words, "CHOOSE to not be stressed out."

INSERT EPIPHANY HERE.

I left feeling light as a feather and very in control. I knew I had a sweaty car ride a head of me, but I CHOSE that it would not bother me one bit. This was the new person I wanted to become anyway! After all, nothing could be worse than my ride to my appt. haha! God has ways of testing us that is for sure.

It all started well (albeit a bit sweaty). Hugo and I were ready and on the open road. "To home Hugo!" and off we went. Just as we were cruising down the highway, jamming to some music, the wind blowing in our hair, there was a noise. A dragging noise. I thought to myself "oh man. But it is ok Sarah. Whatever is happening can't be that bad." Please note that Hugo has had a rough year. Starting on the first of this year he has broken down a few times, was b**** slapped by another car (fender bender), needed a new clutch, had a piece of plastic fall off on highway, etc. So this moment was another notch on the timeline of Hugo misfortune. I did not let the weight of these trials weigh on me. I calmly decided to wait another mile and see what happened. I was also pretty choosey about where I should pull over. There is an exit ramp here, there was a sharp curve there, too much trash on that side... aha! That looks good. Before getting out of the car I take a deep breath, put on a smile and CHOOSE to not be stressed.

It turns out my bumper fell off (refer back to previously mentioned b**** slap fender bender that my broke ass did not get fixed properly). Perhaps I should have been less picky about where to pull over, because this was kinda dangerous. The poor bumper was hanging on for dear life like a hang nail on a big toe. The old me would have dramatically started flailing around and going through the woa is me dance. The new me CHOSE to stay calm and think pragmatically. This lead to me standing on the side of the highway in the blazing heat trying with all my might to rip my bumper the rest of the way off. I couldn't very well stay there, and I certainly wasn't going to waste one of my AAA tows being so close to home. Remember it has already been a rough year and I may need my last one for an even rainier day. So I CHOSE to calmly remove this bumper myself!

Ten minutes later I am still yanking and pulling. My fingers are cut up, I am beyond sweaty, I am covered with black dirt all the way up my arm, and I am starting to get a little hysterical with the pulling. However, as I am yanking wildly I am chanting to myself "I will NOT be stressed! This is a good day!" Eventually I got that damn bumper off! Annnnnd I kept my cool the entire time. So, I put the bumper in the back seat and Hugo and I drove off into the distance- myself covered in dirt, Hugo feeling a bit violated, and both of us feeling rather smug. Ha! We did it!

That lasted about a mile and a half. All of the sudden I hear the same noise of something dragging. "What else is left to drag????" Pulling back over, I investigate and see it is a large plastic piece from above my tire dragging and hitting my tire. I take a moment to CHOOSE to not be stressed and assess the situation. Believe it or not, this little piece of plastic is attached way more securely than my bumper. This plastic piece and I have a bit of a tango- but it will not budge. I can recognize when it is time to surrender, but I am still not going to call AAA. After a brief cellular pow wow with my roomie I decide im just going to drive. F it. I am literally at my exit and only live a mile from the exit ramp.

Hazard lights on, and here we go. After getting off the highway the wrong way (for a second time in one day) and making an illegal U-turn (with my bumper in the back seat, and a large piece of plastic hanging in front of my tire) as inconspicuously as possible, we slowly head home. You should have heard the ruckus this piece of plastic started to make. We can make it Hugo! Then there was a horribly loud noise and then silence. I look in my rear view mirror and I see the large plastic piece rolling down the road.

GOOD RIDDANCE!

I was tired of that piece. I didn't even go back and get it. I felt really guilty because I am against littering, but I had to prioritize. Getting home was goal numero uno. I did feel better now that it was gone though. I had been having visions of the friction of the plastic and my tire getting so hot that my gas exploded. Once that happened, AAA couldn't help me if I wanted them too. The rest of the ride was relatively uneventful. Just the usual crazy looks from people, some teenagers driving their parents nice ass car asking me questions at a red light (you bastards know nothing of my struggles!), and of course taking a slight detour to avoid a police officer (sometimes we have to re prioritize for a moment)

This entire adventure I kept it together. I got really close a few times. I honestly did. But I believe my acupuncturist would have been proud. I park Hugo as close as I can to the person in front of us on the street. I was hoping no one would notice the bumper wasn't there. Which was kind of silly because the bumper was clear as day sitting in the backseat, taking up all kinds of space.

I call my same friend that I could not get a hold of earlier... no answer. I LOST IT. I started balling my eyes out. I was most definitely STRESSED OUT! I was no longer in control of how I would feel.

Now I find this experience hilarious. But each time I lost it, it had to do with a human experience. The moment of reaching out for support and not finding it. Not that my friend purposefully didn't answer, it was the luck of the cosmos. The first time was certainly compounded by being late. I was certainly tested to the extreme and learned I could loose my bumper at 70 miles an hour and keep it relatively cool, but if someone doesn't answer their phone I am a mess. Well at least I know what I need to work on.


note about pic above: that is the bumper in my backseat. Not very inconspicuous at all. I have also very poorly blurred my license plate number... please don't be offended.

always be able to laugh at yourself!