I met with the at-fault party’s adjuster this morning, she was nice. The appointment took a little more than a half hour and at the end she asked if I wanted the good news or the bad news first.
I said yes.
The bad news was the damage covers four different panels and repairing would be more than it’s worth. I could choose to salvage it. It is an older car, and she was unable to find comparables to determine value at that time.
This afternoon I received a call, all told the repairs would be well over $1,400 including over 5 days of rental car time or I could receive a check for what the car is worth. While waiting for the call I hoped it’d be enough to replace the septic line to the house to fix the plumbing problem needing professional help nearly every year.
The car is not worth even a $1,000! To salvage a vehicle it costs $200, they waived that, and he apologized since the accident wasn’t my fault. I said, “That’s life!”
Next I have to get in touch with the DMV to get the salvage title.
I did find it funny after the inspection I ran errands, including McDonald’s drive through. My next stop was groceries so I sat in my car in the parking lot of the grocery store eating and thinking how this McMeal was pretty expensive, I don’t do this often, and how next time I might need a McLoan (LOL!). My rambling thoughts were interrupted when an unsupervised shopping cart hit my car!!!
The first words out of my mouth were sarcastic, “Oh thank you!” I was not pleased! Then I thought, this is the Dent Mobile! The woman retrieved her cart and I waved it was okay.
Maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad idea to donate the car to the Destruction Derby…we know that’d be a hit (bad pun intended!)
I did well getting groceries, getting a lot of produce this time, using coupons and buying things on sale, thank God, there is still a credit on my food benefits card, so I used that. Coupons are allowed when using food benefits, so it stretches those pennies farther and for that, I feel good.
Get this, on the way home past the waterfront, I could tell by the white tail it was a bald eagle swooping down to get him/herself some lunch too. It was beautiful to see one that close.
I wondered driving home just how much we miss in this life because we’re caught up in the struggle for self. I pondered about finding joy in the midst of these ongoing difficult, painful, and uncertain times.
I am reading from an author my acupuncturist mentioned years ago. She teaches us how to minimize our suffering and the suffering of others as well as live with a compassionate heart. It is slowly nurturing my heart to open wider instead of shrinking in the midst of adversity. It is as refreshing as being surprised by that beautiful bald eagle.
I’ve often said, physical pain and difficulty with head injury aside, it is my heart that has taken the biggest toll.
The Fight of My Life 