It was only flat on one side.
One could feel fortunate for that, but flat tires are always a bad deal whenever they occur. Likewise, we actually do feel lucky that ours was after the blizzard. Had our tire decided to become deflated a week earlier, there’s no way we would have been able to change it.
While it’s not the thing we most dislike doing, changing tires comes quite close. Most can relate unpleasant memories of a flat tire becoming a worse-than necessary bad predicament.
This time, it was still dark when we realized the deflation had occurred, and we drove back to a lighted area to begin the recovery process. That drive obviously did the rubber in permanently, if it wasn’t already destroyed before. Nature’s rays soon came
through, and that was a relief in figuring out how the jacking apparatus worked.
While our jalopy has 100K on the odometer, the spare bubble and lifting-piece were brand new and packaged-up, such that a whiff of factory-smell arose as we manipulated the tools out of a bag. An all-in-one piece was to be used for removing the hub cap, loosening the lug nuts and hiking up the little scissor-jack.
It actually didn’t take too much effort to get the flattened rubber off, the little tire out of the trunk and bolted on. However, when we reeled the car back to the ground, the
black bubble was almost flat, too. What the heck, we figured, no choice but to head down the road, though we were smart enough to go toward a repair shop.
Of course, we were probably pushing the pedal a little hard toward the metal, and it wasn’t but a few miles when we realized the spare was also flat. Now remember, we do have one of those cell phones these days, so we called for assistance. When help arrived, there was nothing to do, but load two flats and take them in for a fix.
As we speculated, both pieces were ruined, but fortunately the congenial station man, who has helped us on frequent occasions previously, had two replacements. They weren’t exactly like the ones that came off, but they were inflatable.
Anything was better than nothing, and after finding our car again, jacked up in a farmer’s driveway, beside a snowdrift taller than the nearby mailbox, we put a replacement on the hub, a spare in the trunk and headed to work. We arrived only three hours later than when we were supposed to be there, but always better late than never.
As bad as it all might have seemed at the time, it sure could have been much worse. Again, we’re reminded of Second Corinthians 9:8: “God can pour on the blessings in astonishing ways so that you’re ready for anything, more than just ready to do what needs to be done. He throws caution to the winds, giving to the needy in reckless abandon.”
+++ALLELUIA+++