Breakdown! Tips for a flat tire on life’s highway

My mind drifted off, thinking about the just concluded two-day visit to Cleveland to see my son and his family.   The peaceful trip back to Columbus rolled along in the fast lane at a steady 75 mph on Interstate 71.

Suddenly, peace turned to chaos.  “Thump, thump, thump,” began ringing out as I hung onto the now out-of-control 2002 Toyota’s steering wheel for dear life. 

“Dang.  Freakin’ flat,” I blurted out as my eyes immediately checked my rearview mirror for a way off the now-frightening, three-lane interstate.  Cars and semis flew past me with the right berm two lanes away.

I moved into the middle lane of a long, steep hill only to see a semi-truck the size of three-story building flashing into my rear-view mirror with air brakes squealing.   I was in serious danger. 

A continual frantic “get over, get over, get over,” played in my head.  A knucklehead in a BMW going 90 mph in the right lane trapped me in the middle lane for several hair-raising seconds as the semi bore down on me like a LeBron James’ tomahawk dunk over a third grader.  

When the moronic BMW driver whizzed by, I pulled over just in time for the semi to blow by in an impressive display of driving skill.  I came to a bumpy but thankful stop on the berm.

“Ah, safe,” I said staring at my shaking hands locked in a death grip on the steering wheel.  I opened the car door to a gust of grit from another semi flying by several feet away.  My sense of safety evaporated.  

My eyes went up the mile-long incline that almost was my final rest stop then down to the flat rear driver-side tire.  I shook my head at the thought of how the mundane turns into madness.

After thirty minutes of swearing, jumping on the lug wrench, and fear of becoming a statistic, I finished my task, jumping in the Toyota with a strong sense of self satisfaction and relief

7 lessons learned on changing

Much like a freeway, life looks tame till you are standing still.  Get out of a safe car and the highway becomes dangerously real. Get out of a comfortable life and it becomes unrelenting and cruel.

So what can you do to prepare for when life punctures a hole in your health, finances, relationship, family, or job?

Seven tips from my tire-changing experience:

1. Know how to change your tire.  People rarely plan for change but accepting the inevitable helps.  Practice change in your life.  Do something different once a month.  New food, clothes, exercise, friends, or travel are a few areas to consider.  Prepare yourself by accepting and embracing change in life.
2. Changing a flat can be hard work.  You’re going to want to quit.  I stopped three times during my ordeal but kept coming back because what else could I do?  Challenge yourself with small difficult tasks like losing ten pounds, reading Moby Dick, or volunteering at a soup kitchen.  Persistence helps.
3. Know that maneuvering off the road is dangerous.  Things are going smoothly then BAM!  Don’t panic. Keep your wits when pulling off the road of life.  Practice meditation to help in disengaging from the rat race. 
4. Help is not always free or available.  No one stopped to help me fix a flat tire.  No one may help you when trouble strikes.  Take a problem you complain about and fix it yourself.  Quit whining and get to work.
5. Focus on your task and not life whizzing by you.  Watching people go on as you repair yourself can be scary.  Avoid the “why me” question and complete the necessary task at hand. 
6. Have sympathy/empathy for those stranded.  Once you are up and running you will see others on the side of the road.  Be kind by supporting others who face difficulties.
7. Life can be inconvenient.  A flat can come when you least expect it, whether at high speeds or with a new tire, so be vigilant. Life doesn’t tell you a flat’s coming.  It’s BOOM, you’re flat.  Examine how you’ve dealt with disappointment in the past and consider how to better prepare for the inevitable.

The road of life can be bumpy and surprising.  Problems come out of nowhere at alarming rates of speed.  Preparing for the inevitable flat tire provides comfort when the unexpected hits.