The beginning of a day, the end of a day: both beautiful. Time out, time to look back …. now that the events have passed ….. because it was such a super special weekend, the entirety in a state of grace.
The beginning: morning came, I was prepared; I thought I was prepared. Something larger than me was prepared. It felt like alignment and we’ll start with that word as a precursor to the idea that something would be going wrong with my car. Or was it going right? Is it possible that most of the things we interpret as going wrong are actually going right?
I micromanage my car and am generally attune to repairs, have the oil changed regularly, the tires aligned. Almost every time I leave for travel I have the tire pressure checked. I keep my tires new. And I like my car clean. My battery was not that old, two years; but what I had forgotten was that the Texas heat can deplete a battery in a day. I would be learning later in the day that a battery in Texas summer can even test well one day and be empty the next.
I was driving out, that morning, to run a few errands. My tent weights were being made; the new maintenance man at my apartment was welding them. My car started that morning but was slow. I had been a little unsure about it the night before but after starting it an additional five times post loading art supplies it truly seemed like I was just being too careful. My car started slowly in the morning but it did start and I headed out for my errands.
The maintenance guy, John, was driving in as I was driving out. He said, “I have your tent weights with me if you want to park your car I will load them.” Timing was great, the timing next even better because once I parked my car and shut it off there was no sound to my car as I tried to start it again. John said, “Might be the battery, I’ll hook it up to my truck and we’ll get it started.” That was perfect.
Mechanics in town I saw next were uncertain if it was the battery causing issue or the alternator and they ran tests and fully charged the battery which took some time. At a point in the process, a mechanic and I watched as a butterfly landed on my battery and rested for the count of one thousand one, one thousand two, one thousand three, … one thousand seven….. maybe longer.
There was a peace, the entirety of the morning, as things began to go awry. There was peace and it was good that the timing was like clockwork. I rested in the idea that two of my friends both five hours away had each offered if I ever have trouble they will be here; not as support by phone but in person with a trailer to help bring supplies to an art event if a situation ever comes to that. I often travel with a few hours leeway in case it ever comes to that.
But the butterfly showed me a higher power had this. Battery charged, alternator well; nothing was wrong with the alternator. Safest thing was to have the battery fully tested by a second machine. New battery, stronger battery. I could have been experiencing a car issue on my morning errands and instead I had John parked right next to me happy to help.
I wish I could trust life like this every day. I rested into the morning, I savored the process because it was so fun to see things unfold. Yes, I left five hours later than I had anticipated but it was so fun to see that every time there was a problem there was an immediate solution. Sometimes we have to wait and the solutions are not so obvious… sometimes they require a tremendous amount of patience. I was not bothered in the least by the mechanical trouble; I knew even if the alternator needed replacing that my mechanics would see it through by end of day. I rested on my support to see this through. As a person with anxiety I might not be the most trusting person but on this day I trusted the process. Every minute of the day I was exactly where I was supposed to be.
The drive into Rockport was later than anticipated but the sunset over water was gorgeous and that is what I remember most from the end of the drive. I turned my car back around on a very quiet road so I could appreciate in timelessness the view.
To those who helped me that day and that weekend I thank you,
c.s.
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