Shit Happens
April 24, 2017
It didn’t matter how many back up cameras, bells and whistles I had on my brand new car I somehow was distracted enough, oblivious enough, or just plain stupid enough to back into a Coca Cola truck today at a gas station. I had pulled over to reply to some emails, make a phone call, and actually get gas. I’m not one of those assholes who sits at the pump while they are fussing with their phones or applies their makeup. I had pulled into an actual parking spot first to take care of some business. Once I was done answering some e-mails and talking to some customers I started to back out of the parking space I was in. Suddenly and very irritatingly a guy started walking behind my vehicle. I stopped, made sure he was clear and continued backing up and apparently didn’t realize I was backing straight into the lift gate of a ginormous Coca Cola truck delivering caffeine and high fructose corn syrup filled beverages to the gas station. The rear camera didn’t beep, the “object in blind spot” light did not blink, nothing happened but my dumb ass backing into a parked vehicle. At first, It didn’t feel like a big deal, until I started to pull back forward and the entire car shook. I surprisingly stayed calm, pulled into a spot near a gas pump and took a deep breath. I looked at the Coca Cola truck and there was no one in sight, the driver was apparently inside the store making their delivery. I then got out of my car and assessed the damage. As soon as I peered at my back hatch door my heart almost stopped. The door was “totaled.” I put a huge hole in my door, multiple dents, huge paint chips and scrapes, the works. I believe at that point I was on auto-pilot. I reached over to the gas pump, entered my credit card, a few punches and codes later I was filling up my car with gas. As I was finishing up, I saw the Coca Cola delivery man start walking out of the store with an empty hand-truck and covered my shame and pierced pride with a smile. I pulled into an empty spot right next to his truck and got out of my car to greet him with an awkward smile.
“Hey, I totally just hit your lift gate.”
“Oh, did you?”
“Yeah, I can’t believe I didn’t see you, my car usually freaks out when a squirrel crosses my path. Somehow, I backed right into you and it alarmed me to nothing.”
“Well, I don’t see any damage on the lift gate. I’d be more concerned with your car. What do you want to do?
“Well, I guess I will just call my insurance company.”
“Honestly, there is no damage to my lift at all. Not even a scratch. I would rather not report anything, because it would end up being more paperwork on our end for something that no one would even notice.”
“Okay, well I’ll just call my insurance company later and figure things out on my end. I’m so sorry, I have never hit anyone or anything I’m not sure what I’m even supposed to do. Call my husband I guess. Have a good day!”
“You too, be careful.”
There was literally not even a sign of dirt or chipped paint residue or anything on this mans truck. My poor, beautiful Pearl on the other hand, was a completely different story. I got in my car, looked around a million times as I was backing up and pulled away from the gas station. Then the panic set it, it was like my body was waiting to be alone to show its true colors. I had completely just fucked up my brand new car. The first car that I’ve had in a while that I absolutely loved. She’s gorgeous and matches me and my personality in every single way. She’s a gorgeous burnt orange color and has pearly leather seats and has so much space and fancy little gadgets that I don’t even know what to do with. The only car that I’ve cared enough to even run through a carwash on a regular basis. I typically just let the rain water wash my vehicles or wait until my husband is so embarrassed by the dirt he just takes care of it for me. My beautiful Pearl was damaged goods. Barely over two months old, still has that new car scent, and I go and jack her up. BIG sigh. Then I thought about what my husband would say. Considering he had just left for another country the day before, I was hoping his rage if any would subside by the time he got home in a week. I had to call him now though…. I had to call somebody, I was seconds away from crying my eyes out. As the phone started ringing I just kept thinking about what a freakin’ idiot I was and I was mortified. I started to cry and as soon as he answered all I could say was…
“Please don’t be mad at me…”
“Why, what’s wrong?”
“I just completely fucked up our car.”
“Are you okay? What happened?”
“I’m fine, but we need a completely new back door. I just backed into a huge Coke truck. I’m so sorry I don’t know how it happened or how I didn’t see it, I’m so sorry.”
“Stop apologizing. Is anyone hurt? How about their vehicle?”
“No, nothing even happened to his truck. I hit their lift gate. He didn’t even want to report it.”
“Okay, just calm down babe. Stop crying and stop apologizing. It’s just a car. You need to pull over and calm down”
My ugly cry was in full effect, I was blubbering uncontrollably. First, because I was so freakin embarrassed. Two, because my beautiful car is no longer beautiful, and three because my husband is so freakin amazing he could give a crap less about our car, and was just glad everyone was okay. I’m sure in his head he’s already calculating how much it’s going to be to replace the door, but he never once made me feel like the butthole I felt I was. He told me to calm down again, and stop crying before I got back on the road. Asked if the car was running fine, and just told me he’d take care of it when he got home.
I honestly can’t say it enough, he’s just the best husband ever. Never made me feel stupid, never once sounded mad or upset because of it, and I just couldn’t wait for him to come home so I could get a hug. I needed a hug in the worst way. It was a Monday, and I was just starting my week alone with my little stinker. I hope that the rest of the week is uneventful, calm, and quick! If not, I’ll have another Momming alone post, stat! I was so busy with work throughout the day that by the time it was time to pick up my little squirt from daycare I had forgotten all about my little morning debacle. I called the insurance folks as soon as I put the baby down for bed, and got everything taken care of before my husband came home that Friday. Besides me being 1000% careful about backing up, and my pride being a little bruised I made it through the week just fine. Shit happens folks, and it typically happens to me when I’m alone. Somehow, dealing with the every day shenanigans, adult responsibilities and chaos makes me just a scoatch stronger every day, and although I love my Pearl so much, she is just a car. I’m thankful my husband didn’t even flinch, and I’m thankful no one was hurt in my stupidity. So, the next time I screw up, the next time I break something, drop something, or find myself ugly crying into my hands about something that can easily be fixed, I’ll have to try and remember not to be so hard on myself, and that at least I’ll have a good story to tell my friends, so we can all laugh at my pain together.
Make sure to always look in your rearview mirror and check all your surroundings before backing up!
Happy Melvi Monday Everyone!
