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| photo by Cazzydance via Flickr |
It wasn’t rainy or windy or even foggy. It wasn’t super sunny or
super hot, either. It was just an average gray Pacific Northwest kind of day.
No obvious reason for what he was about to do. He wasn’t tired. He had slept
well the night before. He wasn’t even day dreaming any more than he normally
did. He was just driving. In his old, barely alive, beat up pick-up truck. On a
gray afternoon in June.
When suddenly, he took a wrong turn.
Just one wrong turn.
And before he could remedy the situation, right there on the
side of the road stood an old man. He was pasting something to the window of a
truck.
For Sale, it read, in big black letters.
So the young man pulled over. He got out and walked over
to the old man who still stood beside the truck.
“I see
you’re selling your truck.”
“Yep. Don’t
need it anymore.”
“How many
miles does it have on it?”
“Aw,
well…it says 88,000 but it’s more like 8,000 since I’ve towed it to Arizona
every winter for god knows how many years and I barely drive it when I'm here.”
The young
man nodded, thinking-like.
“You in the
market for a truck?” said the old man, trying to be polite.
“Well, I
wasn’t planning on buying one today. But soon, ya, soon I guess I’m gonna be needin’ a
new one.” He nodded toward his pick-up with the sweet nostalgia of a young man who loves his truck. “How much you want for it?”
“Hmm…how
about $1500.”
The young
man nodded but kept silent.
“If you buy
it today I’ll sell it to you for $1200.”
“Mind if I
take it to my mechanic to get the engine checked out?”
“Have at
it,” said the old man as he threw him the keys.
The young man climbed inside the beautifully kept truck, smiling
at the perky springs in the seat and the smooth way it shifted gears. He
appreciated the careful care that had been given to the truck, the same kind of care he gave his own truck. The young man chuckled to himself as
he drove. He felt happy.
“What’d he
say?” said the old man a few hours later. “Did she get a clean bill of health?”
The young
man wasn’t accustomed to lying. And anyway, he liked the old man. “Yep. He said she’s perfect.”
The two men
looked at the truck as if sizing up a new horse to breed.
“I just
wasn’t planning on buying a new truck today.”
“Son?”
“Yes, sir?”
“Do you
like the truck?”
“I love
it.”
“Then give
me 100 bucks and its yours.”
The young man drove home that night in his new truck, sure he had just experienced the wonder of a fairy tale.
The young man drove home that night in his new truck, sure he had just experienced the wonder of a fairy tale.
* * *
Mama cried, “I’m so happy! Now he'll be safer on the road and he won't have to work any extra hours to pay for it, either! Hallelujah!"
Daddy asked, “Any rust? And what about the tires? Got good
tread? Wow. All four brand new? You sure played your cards right, son.” And he
patted him hard on the back.
His wife cheered, then did a little dance.
His brother laughed and shook his head.
His brother laughed and shook his head.
And his sister (that’s me) smiled at the magic of one wrong
turn.
* * *
What about you? When you make your next ‘wrong turn’ on the road or in life, will
you chastise yourself for it? Or will you look for the magic and appreciate the
gifts of the unexpected? Its been said many times before that what happens to
you can’t always be controlled, but how you interpret what happens to you, can. So go for it…see the wonder in the fairy tale and maybe your taste of magic will
come sooner than you think.:)
12 comments:
There are no coincidences and really, I wonder if we ever take a wrong turn... But it's a lovely tale. Had it happen to me last winter when I picked up some rather unhealthy pita chips in a store, only to have a pretty young woman offer that the lentil chips nearby were more delicious - and healthy. She later gave me some advice and support that has proven to be life-changing. Wrong turn, indeed...
I agree, dear Michael. Beautiful wrong turn we had there, no?:)
For me it been more about how to make a wrong turn right...because, like you say...wrong turns are only ever wrong if we believe them to be. And if you dont believe in wrong turns...then your eyes and heart are always ready for the magic of the universe:)
The magic is always there. Its just us that fail to see it.
Beautiful and thought-provoking, like all your writing. You're reaffirming a decision I've been coming to for awhile about not believing in "right v. wrong." The Universe feels less about judgment than "did this get you closer to where you want to be."
Maybe the magic is always there :)
What a wise and beautiful thing to say, Cal..."The universe feels less about judgment than 'did this get you closer to where you want to be." I dont think there is a person out there that doesn't need to let that seep even deeper into their heart. Thank you, beautiful soul.
And Cal? I truly believe that the magic *is* always there.:)
I have never believed in wrong turns Brynne...they are just nature's way of making the journey interesting.
And maybe more than that, dear Jo...maybe 'wrong turns' are nature's way of opening us up to much more than we ever dreamed possible with our little human minds:)
What a great story Brynne. Thank you! I've made many wrong turns over the years, but the beauty is there has almost always been the opportunity to make a right turn later.
With regards to vehicles, though, my truck story was kind of the polar opposite. I spent the 1500 and two months later, the valves blew up. Truck...Dead!
I've come to believe my purpose in life with regards to vehicles is to see them to their ultimate demise. I've delivered more than I can count to the pick and pull yard or donated them to charity.
As usual, I really enjoyed reading your post, thank you!
Ok, dear Michael...first, you give me smiles. Second, I have to say, I think its quite an honor that more vehicles than you can remember have chosen to 'cross over' in your hands.:) And third, with a spirit like yours, I think I'd like to cross over with you near, too. Hugs and happies for your week, my friend!
I know why you used the word, but we both know there are no wrong turns, only unexpected ones. The path less traveled is a beautiful thing. The path unknown though, the ones we find when we are not looking, the ones that find us, those are the paths in life that truly make us who we are. Woe be to those that stick to the interstates of life, and refuse to see what is not mapped out for them. My GPS is whimsy, my map the soft breeze of morn and the golden light of sunset. May they ever guide my path, and I pray that surprise is my constant reward.
Thats right...unexpected! I love how you say the paths that find us and that your GPS is whimsy! Mind if i twirl?!:)
"Life is what happens while we are busy making other plans"
:) Love you, Michael Rowe:)
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