DON'T SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF

by Danna Shirley

I have heard this expression many times . . . Don’t sweat the small stuff! There is even a book with that title. Sounds good to me.  Makes sense to me. Okay, I won’t sweat the small stuff. Now let me tell you about my life over the last few months.

My computer was ten minutes away from crashing and all the faces on my thirteen-year-old television were green. I decided to bite the bullet and replace both through an account at Best Buy     . . . twenty-four months interest-free. My first purchase on credit since buying my home. Okay, I didn’t sweat the small stuff!

I had carpal tunnel surgery on my left hand in March and I need it on my right hand as well. Since I’m just $65 away from my annual deductible I would like to have it done before the end of the year. I’m still making payments to all the medical facilities involved but I’m whittling it down month by month.

A few months later Dobbs Ford made me an offer I couldn’t refuse. They gave me a high trade-in on my ten-year-old truck that took premium gas and got 12 miles to the gallon. I replaced it with a Ford Focus that got 28 miles to the gallon. Another purchase on credit. Okay, I didn’t sweat the small stuff!

My dishwasher quit working but I could live with that. I have washed dishes before. After several weeks, however, I decided to bite the bullet and call a repairman. It cost $89 to find out that the plug under the sink was loose. Okay, I didn’t sweat the small stuff!

My garage door remote was no longer working. I thought it just needed batteries. I replaced them but to no avail. No problem. I’ll just back the car out, go inside to shut the garage, and come out through the front door. I did this for several months until I informed my kids, “All I want for my birthday is a garage door opener that works.” A new universal remote was in my “Happy Birthday” bag and I was happy. It couldn’t be programmed. We returned it to Sears and bought another one. It couldn’t be programmed. Now I could probably call a garage door repairman to come out and look at this problem . . . yes, just like the dishwasher repairman, but I decided I would just continue to do what I was already doing. It was working and wasn’t costing me anything. Okay, I didn’t sweat the small stuff!

My granddaughter, Mackenzie, visited me over the summer and I noticed she will need braces soon. I asked her mom to get a quote so I could help with the expense. This is a necessity to keep that beautiful smile beautiful.

Later, I was at Lavern’s house getting a haircut. I hadn’t parked in her driveway exactly to the left side but then I hadn’t pulled exactly in the middle either. Her second appointment arrived after me and parked to the right and a little behind me. Her third appointment parked on the pad to my left. I was the first to leave and as I surveyed the driveway, I thought, I can maneuver between these two cars—no problem! I did not notice, however, the fire hydrant on the curb and put a hole in the bumper of my brand new car. Okay, I didn’t sweat the small stuff.

Our summer heat (2011) was stifling, reaching the ‘90s and ‘100s every day for weeks. My air conditioner was doing all it could. When my June-July utility bill arrived for $320, my mouth dropped and I moved the thermostat up to 75˚. With the hottest month of August still before me, I decided I would bite the bullet and get an estimate to replace my windows, which had lost their seal long before I purchased the house. Sears was high but they offered financing so I decided to bite another bullet. I had placed a fraud alert on my account years earlier so I knew this process would be flagged. When Wells Fargo called to verify my information for approval, one of the multiple choice questions was, “What was your car tag on your 1997 Diamonte?” WHAT? Who remembers that after fourteen years? Approval could not be completed over the phone and she would send an application in the mail. Okay, I didn’t sweat the small stuff!

In the meantime, my air conditioner had worked its little heart out until it died. I called Sears to cancel the credit process on the windows because now I had a bigger bullet to bite. A repairman replaced the blower motor for $368 but said that was just a band aid on the problem. Several things were wrong with the unit, which was evident by the lack of cool still not present in my home. My three-ton unit was never going to do the job efficiently and I needed an upgrade. Two estimates later, I’m looking at another two years interest free financing option. Had to do it—couldn’t be helped. I stayed with my daughter for a week while getting estimates and waiting for the installation. The heat index was 106˚. Okay, I didn’t sweat the small stuff!

After being at my daughters for a few days I called Pizza Hut at 12:05 and ordered a large pepperoni, black olive, and mushroom to take home to my son who had been staying in our hot house with the dog. They told me, “It’ll be ready in fifteen minutes.” Okay, no sweat. It’s raining in Memphis but if I hurry, I might beat the rain in Bartlett.

At 12:22 I pulled up to the carry-out window. I waited and waited . . . the car is running. I honked and someone came and asked my name.

I waited and waited . . . the car is running. I honked and she came back and took my money. It started to rain.

I waited and waited . . . the car is running. It’s now 12:35. I honked and a young man came to the window. I told him exasperated, “I want you to include a two-liter diet coke for this aggravation!”

He came back, “We don’t have any two-liter drinks.”

“You don’t have any two-liter drinks,” I questioned, “or you don’t have any two-liter diet cokes?”

“We don’t have any two-liter drinks at all.”

“Then I’ll take two glasses. One coke and one diet coke.” He came back with two small cups.

“I want large glasses!” I exclaimed.

“This is the only size we have.” He gave them to me. Every time I lowered my car window rain dripped inside.

It’s now 12:45 and the motor is still running. The manager finally came to the window. “I’m sorry, ma’am, but one of our new employees dropped your pizza and we’re making you another one. Can you wait a little longer or we can give you a credit?”

“WHAT!” I fumed. “Why didn’t you just tell me that from the beginning? I’ve been sitting here wasting gas for thirty minutes.” I turned off the motor and hung my head. Everything went through my mind . . . the bills, the garage door opener, Mackenzie’s braces, the fire hydrant, the fraud alert, the air conditioner, and now the pizza. I began to cry—I cried . . . and cried . . . and cried. I was convicted by my outburst. This was no way for a Christian to act and I was ashamed. I knew I would have to apologize.

The manager returned with my pizza and through the dripping rain I said, “I’m sorry, this isn’t like me. It’s just that everything has been going wrong for so long and now I’ve been without air conditioning for three days.”

He said, “I understand and I’m sorry, too. We’ve given you a credit for the pizza.”

 DON’T SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF?

It was the small stuff that broke me!

September 19, 2011: 

Russ was cleaning out the garage to make room for a motorcycle he had just gotten from Quincy Grigson. In the process of storing things in the attic, he stepped through and into the kitchen ceiling. He covered the hole with a piece of plywood until we can get it fixed.

September 30, 2011: 

We had quite a scare this morning. Russ and I were in the kitchen/office when we heard a boom in the garage. He went out to find a flaming fire on top of the freezer. He got the hose and soaked it. The smell was awful and started filling the house. Evidently some chemical must have been too close to another chemical (or ???) plus where the freezer had been plugged in had a burn mark around it. Who knows? Anyway, if it had to happen, I just PRAISE GOD it happened when it did. It could have been so much worse and:

1)     happened at night when we were all asleep—burned the house down and us in it.

2)     happened when we were gone—burned the house down and killed Petey.

3)     we could have lost everything of sentimental value—Ron’s painting, precious photographs, etc.

      (Thank God Pa’s violin and Daddy Jack’s pocket watch were not on the premises).

4)     we could have lost other valuables—jewelry, important papers, paintings, etc.

December 1, 2011:

I had carpal tunnel surgery on my right hand but discovered that my deductible, which I had already met for 2011, started over again on November 1^st. Evidently my annual deductible runs from November 1 thru October 31. I could have scheduled this surgery at any time but decided to wait until after Thanksgiving. Ugh!

December 28, 2011:

Kristen, Shawn, and the girls went ice skating in Little Rock, AR over the Christmas holidays. Kris fell on the ice and broke her right elbow. She was in a lot of pain and was told to wear a sling for six weeks.

January 5, 2012:

I took Petey out to the back 40 to do his business and on the way back up the hill to the house I stepped in a hole and broke my left foot. I was told to wear a boot for six weeks. At least my hand from the carpal tunnel surgery was already healed J so I borrowed a walker.

OKAY, NOW WE’RE GETTING WAY FAR AWAY

FROM “SMALL STUFF”