A Little Low on Life, Liberty, & Happiness
He looked over at me, hands on his hips, and said, “It looks like your radiator is leaking.”
“We got some leakage,” the man below said, referring again to the antifreeze oozing out of my car.
I figured they’d say I was a little low on oil, which was why I was getting my oil changed today. I had my reponse all worked out. I’m also a little low on gas, money, and life. What else is new?
Radiator trouble though. Well, I can’t fix that, seeing as how I’m down to about my last $20 or so. See me when I get the electricity, water, phone, cable, and groceries paid for. Oh, and get some gas.
The mechanic ran me through the steps to keeping my car running — carry a gallon of water, make sure there’s fluid over the little thingy where you put the water in, and check it before you drive anywhere.
What fun! I’m going from barely knowing how to put gas in the car and change a tire to filling up the radiator with water.
Any week but this one. Of course, I would say that any other week also. But, this is definitely not the week for this to happen. I have a newspaper project, two papers, and an essay take-home test all due between Thursday and next Monday. I can’t have car trouble.
Let me take a look at how my day’s been so far. I get up at 5:30 this morning, realize why all my books in my bookbag had gotten wet. I left a drink in there, without screwing the top on all the way. Okay, not the smartest thing to do. I take care of that — wash and dry it. No big deal. I decide I can’t get too frustrated over it because I’ve got work to do today.
I arrive on campus at 7:50. I was running a little late because I had to wait for my bookbag to dry. Well, my car has some smoke coming from under the hood. I had 10 minutes to make the near-mile walk to the library for work. I decide I’ll take care of it later.
11:00 — I’m off work and have decided to take the car to see about the oil. I had thought that was what was wrong with it since I haven’t changed it in a while. Surprise, surprise! Your radiator’s leaking, Justin.
I can’t wait for the next thing that will invariably go wrong.
Yes, I’m a little low on life right now. I’m definitely restrained by not having the money to simply take care of things like a radiator, and I am controlled by the unlucky events that come my way. Therefore, I’m a little low on liberty. Since I’m a little low on life and those aforementioned events block any sort of freedoms I thought I had, I’m a little low on happiness at the moment. (Note that I am not talking about “the pursuit of happiness” because that is a little more about the freedom to pursue work. However, if I can’t drive to interviews after I graduate in order to get a job, I’ll be denied that also.)
Give me a few days or a few dollars and maybe I won’t be so stressed out.
Radiators, given they’re still 50% healthy, make due quite well with a jug o’ water for easily more than a year. (Mother’s cars…oh, the memories!) But you do have to be religious about checking it. Really, that’s just an extra twenty minutes or so daily (non-consecutive, of course) and that’s not that much.
Good luck on the writings/test!
Yeah, I have to get used to checking it on a regular basis. I just wanted to have my car last great until I could afford a new one (after I graduate, get a job, and settled in a bit).
Hey bud, i wish i was there to help you out. It is true, if you just check the water level daily, you can make it last a long time. However, if you forget, your car will over heat and blow up into a million pieces. Well…. not really, but it sounds cool. Just keep a close eye on it, or it will damage your engine.
Just popping in while taking a break from writing my paper (I took off work this morning for this).
My dad called about 30 minutes ago and told me that he had ordered a new radiator. He might come up tomorrow to put it in. I’m just waiting to hear, “Son, this is your birthday present this year.” My birthday is next Tuesday. Of course, that would be a great present.
And here I was, preparing myself for at least a year of filling up my car with water.
We all wish we had Dads like yours, Justin.
You’re lucky. Thank him.
I hope everything works out with your vehicle. Last summer I decided it was time for a set of new tires before going on vacation…but low and behold once the wheels were off I was told I need more than just tires; both rotors were cracked! Good luck!! and don’t forget to carry the water with you.
PS..thanks for stopping by my blog.