Have you ever had a bad day? I have had a few. In fact just the other day, it seemed everything that could possibly go wrong did (phone systems, computers, frustrated customers, etc). Things were getting done but everything was so hard. It was just a bad day. Then, that evening I spoke with a friend who was sharing the events of his day and suddenly my bad day did not seem so bad.
His day at work was rather quiet and uneventful. This gave him the opportunity to run some errands during lunch time. Unfortunately, while he was driving to his first errand, he heard the sound no driver likes to hear from behind. As his eyes rose to the rearview mirror, the source of the sound was confirmed by the red and blue flashing lights. Not knowing his violation, he pulled over and waited for the officer’s greeting.
The officer came to his window and asked to see his license and registration. Although he was not sure the reason he was being stopped, it was well known that when you were pulled over in the city you would never leave without the gift of a ticket. Therefore, his goal now was to be as cooperative as possible so that he could get the ticket and complete his errands before his lunch hour expired. He pulled the registration out of the glove compartment and his license out of his wallet. The officer took both of them and walked back to his car.
The officer walked back to the car and said; having a bad day? Not too bad up to this point, he replied. Sir I am going to need you to step out of the car, the policeman asked. He stepped out of the car and was informed by the officer that his license had expired. (Apparently,
he had never received his renewal in the mail, but honestly how many of us actually watch for when our licenses expire). With no excuses, he said that he apologized and must have missed the renewal last month.
He asked, what is the cost of that ticket? The officer replied that the ticket is typically a couple hundred dollars but it is the impound fees that really add up. Impound fees? Yes, when driving without a license the vehicle must be impounded. It can’t be released for you to simply get back in and drive away. As he attempted to assure the officer that he would not drive the vehicle, the tow truck already had it on the hook. The officer issued him two citations and the tow truck driver provided him the information to the impound yard.
His lunch hour had just about expired. He had not completed a single errand and he was about 20 miles from the office without any means of getting back. When I asked if he called his co-worker to come pick him up, he replied that he borrowed his co-worker’s car to run the errands.
This was a reminder that whenever I decide to loathe in the self-pity of claiming to have a bad day, I should always remember that there is someone who has experienced a far worst day than me (and quite frankly may not voice a single complaint).
Husband, father, coffee connoisseur and lover of all things hockey. At 51 I sometimes wonder have I done enough. I have been married to my best friend for 30 years. She knows all my faults and loves me anyway, As a father of “almost always” perfect boys, I am always surprised at what life has to offer. It is messy, scary, thrilling, and always fun.
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