Life By Kristen

Broke Down, But Not Broken

This morning, my car stalled on the way to work. I was just making my way off the exit, car did a weird thing, and then before I knew it I was coasting way off the exit with no engine or ability to use gas pedal. Thankfully, there was no one in front or behind me and I was able to make my way to the side of the road under an overpass.

This is not my first foray into cars dying on the side of the road. My previous car, a fun little red Jetta, had its fair share of breakdowns in its last year or so of its life with me. And thankfully, I have AAA, which makes the stress of a car breakdown a little less. I love my little car ( 2007 Hyundai Elantra) and it has been great to me and I am hopeful the issue will not be too huge ( fingers crossed!)

All that being said, this morning felt like a huge triumph for me despite the inconvenience of a breakdown on the way to work. I was calm and collected the entire time- I did not even cry or freak out once, which in most previous car experiences, I do as soon as I call one of my parents. I called my dad, informed him of the situation, and laid out the clear plan for him, instead of frantically asking him what to do. I called AAA to have them tow the car to my usual mechanic, and them promptly called my coworker to come grab me to bring to work.

It would be really easy to get down and freak out- really easy. My budget is beyond tight and I’m in the stress of refinancing my house, trying to get ahead on things, and figure out life. I don’t think anyone would blame me for crying on the side of the road about my bad luck. I don’t know if it was the sunshine, the iced latte I was drinking, or the fact that I have tomorrow off from work, but I was almost chipper, despite the bad situation.

Or maybe it’s because that in the strife of the past year, a drawn out divorce process, and owning/ living in a house on my own, I’ve just learned to not sweat the small stuff. Yes, my car broke down and yes, it’s probably going to cost money to repair, so one could argue that it’s not a small item. But I’m a healthy person surrounded by a super supportive network of family and friends. It’s not the end of the world, and mostly, it’s out of my control.

There have been a few small moments over the past few months where I surprise myself at my abilities and how strong I have become. The person I am now is so wildly different than who I was a year ago at this time or even six months. So despite the sort of sucky luck this morning, I’m feeling pretty proud of myself for remaining calm and level headed. I’m not sulking or complaining, I’m just letting life happen and allowing my positive, I can do this attitude to lead the way. And that’s really pretty awesome.