An Ode To Home Teachers and a Seriously Cool Boss-Lady

My car broke down. Completely. Ka-Putz. Sigh. Car problems are so inconvenient. Sometimes I worry about how much we, as a society, really rely on our gizmo's and contraptions to get us around, to function in life, and what in the world would we DO if they were all destroyed? Lost? Sold? Well. It's happened to me this week. Car died - as mentioned - completely. And I sold my laptop. I still don't want to talk about that. I rely so much on being able to "Google it" or just hop in my car and "pick something up at the store really fast" that when it's (they're) gone - I'm really up crap creek (trying to clean up my language)! You then begin to realize how much you need other people at times like this - and it's even more interesting who comes through for you during these times as well.

The Come Through's

My car broke down in the middle of a left turn lane on the busiest street in Provo. I was a-scared. There were cars whizzing by me at incredible rates - and I'm a girl - a lone girl - without the strength to push or pull, nor the where-with-all to have anyone in my phone that could come RIGHT NOW DAMMIT! I made 4 frantic calls before "Sizzler People", aka Come Through's #1- noticed the frantic 20 something in the left hand turn lane and asked "Hey - do you need some help?" YES! Thank you thoughtful strangers! About 4, quit burly as in "we just ate the Sizzler buffet" fella's came and pushed my car into a local Arby's parking lot. Thanks to these Sizzler strangers I was able to gather myself, and start looking through my phone as to who I could call to take me home.

I start texting and calling the list. I don't have family near - most are in Emery County, one in the MTC, and one in the Caribbean. Roomies are out of town. Most of my (local Provo) friends were out and about on this Saturday evening and not in a spot to come get me. I have some friends in Law School - which is really bad because they're all busy at the same time with the same stuff. BUT - I take a chance. I text a boy whom I had hung out with about 3 times - once was an official date - back in November. Clearly I am really scrapping the bottom of the barrel calling an acquaintance I went out with once. But amazingly and most gratefully - the boy comes through! He's in Law School and very busy - but he comes. Most didn't even call back. He picks me up and takes me to my house. Wow. Surprise Come Through Person #2.

Next, I decide it's time to call upon the Home Teachers to really do their duty. I need my car towed back to my condo - ya know - for safe keeping - and again, the friends aren't around to help. It was a busy weekend and I guess an even busier week, so they needed their cars for their own stuff. Understandable. Thus, the Home Teacher answers and proffers not only to tow my car - BUT he offers me HIS car to use Mon-Wed while he is out of town. Wow. Isn't that awesome? I mean it's risky lending your car out to anyone - let alone your little sad home teachee. My Home Teachers really came through - they are Come Through People #'s 3-4. I am baking them cookies...an assortment. It was basically a life saver for me. I had broken down on my way to run errands such as grocery shopping - thus I had no food at all - as well as my worries of how I'd be getting to work. I work odd schedules - something very different from most day jobs - so the hours were tough to "car-pool" with - even with co-workers who do the 8-5 vs my odd scheduling. Not to mention roomies work the same "normal" schedules and really couldn't help either.

Finally - the day from hell ends with the ultimate Surprise Person #5. Brace yourselves because this is basically awesome. It being Thursday I returned my HT's car to him Wednesday night - the day he came back into town. Now - my mom is bringing up my brothers truck (he serving a mission in Madagascar and having no say - ha. Poor missionaries.) on Saturday morning. This leaves me Thursday and Friday to figure out the basic ride to and from work. Also, there is the BYU Women's Conference to consider starting on Thursday. What does this mean? NO PARKING!!! Everyone else's husbands and wives can drop them off - but me, being 1 of 3 single people in the department - have no such obligated person. I figure since it's Spring - and I work the 10-7 shift on Thursday - I will ride my bike. It will be fun. I wake up this morning ready to do just that. I dust off my sweet ride and start out. "Hmmm - this feels funny." Work is about 5 miles away - and a bike ride was just barely a decent option - walking on the other hand - neigh ridiculous! Well - the "funny feeling" of my bike is traced to two very low, basically flat, tires. Well dam...er darn. I wheel Victoria (yes - it's named) back to the garage and think - "Who would be available at 9:30am on a Thursday to take me to work?" Well "no one" is the answer. I try two Law School "friends" again - and well, they are "busy right now, Sorry." Ouchy. I know that they've been working on a Law Review all week - and that is really distressing - but I dunno, I've always been of the mind "people in REAL need first" - then I'll make up the difference. I'm not trying to come off as some sort of Good Samaritan - but I've always been taught that it's people first: strangers, friends, family - those in need. What someone could've done for me this morning as I walked to work - would've meant a lot - especially knowing they WERE busy. I was conflicted even asking them knowing how busy they were. I understand if it was an hour I was asking - or even 30 minutes of time sacrifice - but what would've taken them 15 minutes to come and snag their poor little pathetic car-less friend really trying her best to find any other option first, and drive her to work - took me 1 hour, 2 bleeding - BLEEDING - blisters, a very chilly afternoon, being very late to work, and somewhat hurt insides that none of my friends could come through for me when I really really needed them to. I didn't even call anyone else. I'd been hung up on when I called for some condolences, while in tears, the weekend before, and I couldn't handle that sort of rejection again. Not from a "friend." However - as THEIR friend too - I do have to understand their stresses and reasons. Again, a rough week for everyone and I should be more understanding. I didn't have change nor any idea of a bus route to consider that an option. Luckily it wasn't snowing - and it was 10am. I dreaded the thought of my Friday shift ending up being the same - but at 5am, walking through a kind of nasty bit of town near my place, in the dark, cold, and reopening maybe a few of these blisters. I contemplated what in the world I was going to do.

My Co-workers are awesome. When I got to work - disheartened and disappointed - they buoyed me up and offered condolences. They then offered me rides. Which was awesome. I didn't call them in the first place because I knew the Women's Conference would make them give up whatever parking spot they would've luckily found - having an earlier shift than me - and also - they were at WORK too! However, two of my work buddies offered to COME BACK to the office and take me home - seeing as my feet probably couldn't handle the walk again - and then, THEN, come and pick me up at 6am at my house, for my shift on Friday! Co-Workers! It was inconvenient for roomies - by now I'd given up on friends (I just need to expand my circle more) - I couldn't bear to ask my HT's AGAIN - so my co-workers offered help.

This isn't the Surprise Come Through Person #5. As my co-workers and I discussed what time they'd come and get me - we wondered if it might not be easier for my co-worker just to work my same shift and go home early on Friday as well. She usually worked an 8-5. This was a question for the Boss-Lady. We both walked over to ask her - me in socks because of the bleeding (sick I know!) - and told her of my rather pathetic situation. Do you KNOW what the Boss-Lady said? What she offered? "What time are you off tonight?" she asks me. I tell her 7:00 - everyone else goes home at 5:00. She then proceeds to offer me HER car - because they have an extra at her house right now. HER CAR! She said she will come and pick me up from work - take me to her house - and let me take her car for Friday. I think I almost cried right then. Isn't that incredible? After roomies aren't able to help, friends are busy, family is far away, and there is no b/f anymore, my BOSS comes through for me. Surprise Come Through #5 my friends - the Seriously Cool Boss-Lady.

The lesson - I will always be there for people. People first. No matter where I am or how busy I am - if someone, stranger, friend, anyone - calls upon me to help them out of a tight spot - they know they can count on me 100%. I know how I felt when no one seemed able to come to my aide - and I also know how I felt when those who have no relationship obligations to me came to mine - and I want to be THAT person. The helping one. I also want to be the understanding one when, sometimes, really people can't help you...they still may have the best of intentions. But hey, it doesn't work sometimes. I am trying to be that kind of friend too. 

There you have it. Surprise Come Throughs: the awesome Co-workers, the dutiful Home Teachers, the burly Sizzler guys, the "acquaintance" boy, and the Seriously Cool Boss-Lady. Today, despite the blisters and the hurt, hasn't been so bad of a day after all. And besides, it's over in 10 minutes! Praise the Lord!