I just had a moment, trying to parallel park on my dead-end street, amidst the snowbanks, when I actually felt that I could not survive it. It wasn’t going to work. I needed a deus ex machina. A car was coming at me from one way. Waiting. Okay, so that’s pressure. Then, worse, a car came at me from the opposite way – from the driveway at the end of my street. Also waiting. Again: pressure. I honestly had a moment, full of confusion, agony, and self-hatred, where I thought: “I canNOT do this.” I looked for someone to save me. The space was so narrow – my maneuverability was NIL – and I had a two-pronged firing squad staring at me with high beams. I talked outloud to myself throughout. “No … No … i cannot … whatdayawantmetodo??? I can’t move … I can’t … oh … okay … back up a bit … but … God … no … how close am I to that hummer … shit … okay … back up … try again …” It was a timewarp of devastation. I may never recover emotionally. However, my car is now parked.<\/p>\n
It reminds me of one of my favorite moments from my trip to Ireland with Allison<\/a>. Not THE favorite moment (because that slot is already taken<\/a>) … but it’s up there!! We were driving along the southern coast. We took turns … being driver and navigator<\/a>. At this point in our journey – Allison was driver, and I was navigator. I can’t even remember where we were, actually – but it was a one-street town – literally – a curvy road going over a bridge, with a couple of shops and pubs on the other side … and maybe we were hoping to stay in the town, can’t remember … but I got out and ran into the B&B on the curve – and Allison, handling the stick-shift in-the-left-lane car … tried to back up and pull into the parking lot. She stalled. Remember … the stickshift is on the lefthand side … huge brain adjustment … and she couldn’t make it happen … she couldn’t get it into gear … back up … turn … and get into the parking lot. Most of this happened while I was inside, checking on rates and vacancies, etc. REMINDER: when I say one-street town, I am not exaggerating. It was one road, with a wee curve in it … over a bridge … and that was the town. Allison struggled, cars coming from that way and also this way … stopped, waiting … stretching over the bridge, and stretching off into the town … waiting for this crazy American driver to figure it out. (Irish people, that particular week, were immune to shock at crazy American drivers<\/a>.) The emotional pressure was tremendous. (I missed all this.) She did teeny 3 point turns … she stalled … she jerked forward … (and Allison is not a bad driver … but the combination of stick-shift-on-left-side, driving-on-left-side … and teeny medieval road with lines of traffic on either side … sunk her).<\/p>\n She stalled. For the 10th time.<\/p>\n Oh, and let me tell you the most amazing part of this story: NOBODY BEEPED AT HER.<\/p>\n Not ONE person beeped in annoyance. Everyone just waited … patiently … knowing that the poor American girl was just trying to figure it out … no need to get wrapped up in rage about it …<\/p>\n I loved that. That’s when you know you’re in Ireland. When not ONE person beeps at you in a moment like that.<\/p>\n And Allison finally gave up. I love her for this. She got out of the car and basically shouted, in the vicinity of both waiting lines of cars… “I cannot do this! I cannot!” Shouting at the lined-up cars, throwing herself on the mercy of the Irish court of public opinion.<\/p>\n And a man – a friendly big burly man (God bless him, I love him forever … for how he treated Allison, with such kindness and practical assistance … and how he did not judge … he just fixed it …) got out of HIS car … came over, asked her what the trouble was, she explained … panicked … and he was calm as could be … “No worries, girl … do ya mind if I drive your car? I’ll park it over there … okay?” He gets in, had to push the seat back to accommodate his girth … jams it into gear, does a perfect little 3 point turn – zip, back, over, zip … and pulls into the wee parking lot of the gift shop across from the B&B.<\/p>\n No biggie.<\/p>\n I love him for his attitude. Allison looked for kindness in her fellow man … in a moment of panic and need … and found it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I just had a moment, trying to parallel park on my dead-end street, amidst the snowbanks, when I actually felt that I could not survive it. It wasn’t going to work. I needed a deus ex machina. A car was … Continue reading