During my visit home this past weekend I learned a valuable lesson about bumps in the road.
My first day home (Friday, March 22) went a little something like this: the morning started wonderfully; the sun was shining as I drove my mom to work.
After dropping her off, I went to my favorite bagel place from my hometown of Great Neck to get iced coffee. (my addiction to Bagel Hut iced coffee throughout high school is the sole reason I’m barely 5’3)
I brought the coffee over to my grandma’s apartment and spent the morning with her eating and chatting about climate change. I left my grandma’s on a high and proceeded to drive back to my mom’s house.
About 5 minutes from home I took my eyes off the road for one second in an attempt to prevent the open Snapple bottle (from which I was drinking) from spilling all over the interior of my mom’s car.
In the process I swerved and drove over the curb, resulting in a complete massacre of the front right tire of my mother’s Hyundai Sonata.
Throughout the course of the day, I realized a number of things:
Life doesn’t go according to plan.
My tendency to plan, combined with my homesickness, (which compels me to try to fit in every single friend & family member possible during my bi-annual visits) means that I plan my trips home in great depth.
I designate time for each of my incredible parents, my wonderful grandmother, and my great friends. I had an air-tight plan for the day that was going to enable me to do my mom a favor, see my best friend Jen, and see my grandma, all before going to the city.
This accident, which really only took two hours out of my day, wasn’t part of the plan – and that threw me off more than I’m happy to admit. I’m trying to learn to be able to let go of my plans and go with the flow.
There’s nothing more valuable than good friends.
Jen was completely flexible and understanding of my need to change our plans. She came over once I made it home and helped me get ready. She gave me a lift to pick up the car when it was fixed and did it all with a smile. There’s nothing better than having a friend who never makes you apologize for shit that’s out of your control.
Driving is a responsibility and a privilege.
My accident could have gotten me hurt, or worse, hurt someone else. I am very grateful that the only damage done was on my mother’s tire and, subsequently, my wallet.
Being an adult sucks sometimes.
It means being accountable for the outcomes of your actions. It means owning up to & taking responsibility for your mistakes. It means digging into your savings account to pay for those mistakes.
But it also means learning lessons and (hopefully) getting smarter and more resilient along the way.
I truly hope that as I age, each next bump in the road (physical or metaphorical, big or small) leaves me with something positive to take away from it.
