I found that word, yooofff, on John Gray’s blog this
morning. It makes a great title for a post I was not going to write.
The blog commences last Friday; the football game! Another
of the despicable non-league games. Only one small injury this week. We were
home by midnight and in bed soon after. It
was obvious this time last year neither Laura nor I are nighthawks. Nine or ten
hours a night, at the right time, suits each of us. “Sleeping in” is no
panacea; it’s confusing.
The next day was Saturday. We were invited to a picnic that
Laura could not attend because of---a band show. I certainly intended to go to
the picnic. We got up close to noon, ate breakfast, set out on errands,
arranged neatly as all right hand turns until the last left into the grocery
store. Great logic, eh? Turn right, first star on the left, you’re home.
The learner’s permit drove, and made careless mistakes that
I attributed to tiredness, the second to last involving speed and overshooting
a drive. I decided I would drive on the way home. We reached the grocery, drove
down the lane and Laura pulled into a parking place. “Slow down” commanded
grandma. How fast does a car go when the driver slams the gas pedal, not the
brake.
Damn fast, I’m here to tell you. So, lucky for her, a
concrete stanchion stopped the car. My body still remembers that abrupt stop.
Aunt Janice came and bailed us out. She took Laura home,
then to the band show, and later took me to the airport to rent a car. As I waited an hour for a tow truck, I
managed to make all the appropriate calls; filed an insurance claim and put a
car on hold at the airport, picked it up, and at the appropriate witching hour,
retrieved Laura from the band show.
Sunday was the heart to heart. If you are not focused, in
the moment, paying attention, you do not drive a car. Oh, yes, there have been
plenty of tears over two days, the most touching being “I can’t believe you’re
not mad at me.”
Today I got through the part that could have made me angry
at someone. The insurance person told me on the phone that between the mileage
(75,000), the age (2010) and the damage, it could be a total loss. I saved it
for the adjustor, who said, “Calm down, calm down.” The appraisal came out for
big bucks, but under the value of the car. Thank you, Universe. While I’m at
it, I’ll pay for getting the scratches and scrapes removed, and that car and I
will keep on cruising. It will be two or three weeks to the end of this, and
another trip to the airport to renew the rental car (or get a different one!).
Today was the first cards with the Methodists. It was their
picnic I missed on Saturday, too. The Methodists raise a lot of money out of
their kitchen, and election day is a big turkey dinner fundraiser for them. A
huge wooden chicken stands outside. It says “Save a chicken. Eat turkey.” The
chicken was a stand in bill board for the picnic. I found him in the card room,
waiting placard replacement. What a guy.
I try never to get angry at honest mistakes no matter what the damage. Hope you two are both ok.
ReplyDeleteYou are SUCH a good grandma, and human being. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteAnd this is how we learn and love!
ReplyDeleteGlad are both OK and that your insurance is working out.
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness. And mine just got her learner's permit this past week. Now I'm scared!! wish me luck!
ReplyDeleteI still don't understand what a yooofff is! Could someone help me out here? :)
ReplyDeleteI'm so sorry about your car, and Laura's shaken confidence, no doubt. But better a piece of concrete at slow speed than no end of other objects at high speed ...
Love the chicken sign.
I went back to John's blog and finally figured it out - *youth* ....!!
Delete"Youth," as only John Grey can "Yooofff".
ReplyDeleteI think only her body shook, and her resolve solidified.
Hope you're insurance doesn't increase too much. Last year i was backing out of a space in the bank lot and didn't see the small suv behind me.....because, i think, my age, insurance went up by around a third, still well under 300 per six months, but i see the light at the end of the tunnel.
ReplyDeleteBest,
Mike
Pay the next six month premium, OK?
DeleteYou kept your cool...not an easy thing to do but, methinks you've had a lot of practice.
ReplyDeletePoor Laura. At least mo other car was invol;ved and she learned something.
ReplyDeleteHari OM
ReplyDeleteYup - what all the others said - you're the coolest gran around - finding the slightest silver lining from that prang and providing Laura the fullest opportunity to grow from it. YAM xx
accidents are bad but not a total lost if we can at least learn something from them.
ReplyDeleteEverything they^ all said, plus my admiration. I'm glad neither of you was hurt by that solid bump.
ReplyDeleteGetting angry would not help your Granddaughter, but screaming into a pillow when she was not around might be helpful to you
ReplyDeleteWe learn from our mistakes and I will bet that Laura will become a very good driver because this incident will stay with her for a long time. Your influence on her is a lifetime gift.
ReplyDeleteOh my! Thank goodness you are both fine.
ReplyDeleteOh my! Glad you guys are both okay and the car is fixable! Bet she won't make that mistake again!
ReplyDeletebetty
Once again i want to tell you what a great grandmother you are.
ReplyDeleteYour story reminds me of someone who I was instructing in my car, mounted a garden rockery and did quite a bit of damage, like a new hood & headlights - I fired off a string of expletives... then with a friend we lifted the car off the stones and encouraged the learner to get back behind the wheel and drive. That person today is a now a careful and wonderful driver.
ReplyDeleteEach of our two had their own first "bump", both of which we dealt with without involving insurance. They had to pay for the damages caused out of their own bank accounts, but both incidents were handled without becoming angry.
ReplyDeleteI remember having my "beginners" and driving with my father in a giant Oldsmobile on newly iced roads when I started to lose control and then went into the ditch and ended up facing the other direction in a field. All he said was, "Woop! Let's not tell your mother." I appreciated, to this day, his lack of anger. -Jenn
You are such a good role model to your " Yoofs "
ReplyDeletewhen our daughter had just got her license she needed to go to the library which was just a dozen or so blocks away. she took the truck. then we got a phone call from a stranger. daughter had a wreck about halfway there. a young child dashed out in the street in front of her from between two parked cars along the street. she chose to hit a parked car instead of the child. shook and scared of our anger she basically said the same, I can't believe you aren't mad at me.
ReplyDeleteOuch. Glad you two are okay.
ReplyDeleteNo one was hurt , which is what really matters , and she's learnt two really important lessons ... to concentrate behind the wheel and that you really love her .
ReplyDelete