I’ve got a question for you:
Have you ever been so “set on” one thing that you know you like or are used to, that you won’t accept anything else?
This will sound unrelated, but bear with me here:
Just recently, I was driving to my mom’s house to help her with some home improvement projects. She lives on a curvy, hilly road out in the middle of nowhere, where I grew up. I was likely daydreaming a bit like I’m prone to doing. Going around a steep curve on a hill, I swerved a bit, overcompensated, and…
…immediately found myself doing vehicular somersaults sideways across the road. My car landed, roof crushed, upside down in the ditch. I’m not sure what led me to be so careless, but I was lucky to still be alive. After managing to free myself from the front seat and frantically crawling out through the busted back windshield (because in movies, all wrecked vehicles explode), I wondered where I would go from here. Other than to the E.R., that is. I got help pretty quickly even out in the country. I ended up with just a slight concussion, minor whiplash, massive tow and E.R. bills, and…oh…no car.
This was gonna be tough. Because not only did I like my reliable little family car, but I was Used. To. It.
The comfortable seats, the scent of handmade soap I’d used as air-freshener, its non-descript color that hid the muddy pawprints always on the hood…it always started and I could always expect the same things from it, as long as I kept it well-serviced.
So I started looking for a “new” (used) car. I’m no people expert, but I imagine that most would probably pursue the nicest, newest vehicle they can afford. That’s what makes sense, anyway. I saw plenty that looked nice and were in my price range.
But I realized I didn’t want to get used to something else. I really just wanted my 14-year-old plain-jane car back. Same make, model, heck, even color would be nice. Of course, I own that my expectations can be…unrealistic. But sometimes I actually end up with exactly what I want, regardless of how ridiculously specific that is. I recently found something nearly identical to my last car, for a good deal. If I end up with this vehicle, it would be awesome, like getting “my car” back.
But if I end up with something else…I guess it’s really just an opportunity to remove myself from my comfort zone a bit. That’s how we grow and become more resilient and flexible, both important traits for survival and happiness in life. “New” is difficult, but maybe not such a bad thing.
(There might also be a message in here about paying more attention while driving…uh, yeah. Don’t be a distracted idiot like me. Pay attention while driving!)
How about you? Do you find it hard to adjust to forced changes? Or do you seek out ways to stretch your comfort zone? Comment below!
Image by mindgrind at MorgueFile.com
The Puzzled Mom 