It’s a short saga so hang on…

Last week I had an unexpected issue with my car, which was a problem that I paid to have fixed back in September.  This was a total surprise that it was broken now!

When I took my car back to the people I paid to fix it back in September, they said they never fixed that part but fixed other things around it. Now keep in mind, I took it in to fix the 1 thing only, they called me saying I needed other items fixed in addition to the 1 thing. They did the additional work but not the original 1 thing? Really? But told me at the time they fixed it all.

The original price for the 1 thing was $600 and they called me with the additional items needed which when added in came out to almost $1,800 total. That is what we paid. When I picked the car up back in September, they said they had fixed everything including the 1 thing.

All this time I believed they had fixed the 1 thing plus the additional items.

Well, driving back through the mountains from Atlanta the weekend before last the 1 thing broke. I was lucky enough to be able to keep driving it so I took it into the place that supposedly fixed it. We were able to find a copy of the receipt which basically said nothing detailed but the almost $1,800 we paid. 

I had a discussion that was extremely unpleasant with the owner including him trying to talk down to me like I’m an idiot. It did not go well. He was a real jerk and disavowed any knowledge of my car repair and said they weren’t responsible, while also telling me that it was extremely dangerous for me to drive my car the way it was. Of course I was NOT going to allow this jerk to work on my car again!

So, I called a few other places trying to get an appointment with a reputable company and it was difficult, stressful, and everything was very overwhelming. I cried. I was thrown for a complete loop by all this happening within a few hours. 

A problem that I thought had been fixed, was never actually addressed, and had put me in actual danger. And I had no idea. My Guides didn’t tell me that they didn’t fix my car. I never got any heads up. (I also didn’t specifically ask them because I believed it was fixed.)

I cried and cried from the overwhelm and frustration.

Then the next day I got an appointment with a reputable company and took the car in.

It was supposed to be a 2-hour job so I walked down the street and had a leisurely lunch returning about 2 hours later. The car wasn’t finished, they were waiting on a part. So, I sat in the waiting area, which was just 4 seats in front of the cashier, with another lady who was waiting and chatted until her car was finished. 

While we were chatting, they got the part. It took another 2 hours to get it installed, and when finished they handed me the keys. I was all done. I thanked them, drove it out of the parking lot, and lots of bells and lights went on. I turned around and went straight back. 

They checked it out, decided the part was defective and ordered a new one then installed that one in about 2 hours. Yes, we are over the 6-hour mark now but that was okay, as long as they were fixing it. I needed to get home to let my dogs out and the Store Manager was kind enough to drive me home as she lives near me. I was able to let them out and sit with them for awhile and took an Uber back at the end of the day.

They had replaced the part again but all the lights and bells were still on. They told me it was safe to drive so I took it home for the evening at the end of the day and came back the next day. They had ordered another replacement part. I walked down the street and got some yummy dim sum and visited a friend who had a business nearby. I spent more that 3 hours wandering around and made my way back, expecting them to be finished or nearly finished.

They were not. The lights and sounds were still on but they had accidentally stripped an attachment point on the axel while taking things on and off so much and needed to replace that. They replaced the axel for free. And still tried to resolve the original issue.

Finally at the end of the workday it still wasn’t resolved after Day 2.

So, I scheduled another appointment to come back on Saturday morning when George would be in Asheville so he could drive me and drop off the car and I could leave it until it was fixed. I couldn’t bear sitting up there all day again waiting. The Uber I had taken cost me $40 one-way so I didn’t want to keep doing that either.

They assured me that this would be the last time because they were ordering a whole assembly, not just parts and they wouldn’t charge me for the extra items.

Finally late Saturday afternoon they called and had it fixed, we went back up there and sure enough it was running great.

Now here is the interesting part, I was so unbothered by the waiting for 2 whole days. I sat there in that tiny little room with the Manager and Assistant Manager, occasional new customers, and parts delivery people and waited patiently. I didn’t feel upset or stressed, I was kind and laughed with them about the difficulty and let myself be in the flow. I let it be what it was without getting emotionally involved.

It was obviously weird to the staff because they kept grimacing when they needed to tell me it still wasn’t working, etc. and they always looked surprised when I shrugged and said, “Ok. What is the plan?”

I kept offering support and sympathy to the mechanic and tried to enjoy myself while I waited. I listened to YouTube videos on my phone with my earbuds in, the managers and I watched the police pull over so many cars in the speed trap they had created, and I enjoyed my time walking around.

I wasn’t pretending, I was genuinely unbothered, in the flow and having a new interesting experience with new people I had never met before.

When it was over I had a new 1 thing and it’s assembly, a new front right axel, a free oil change that they did after it was all fixed, and a coupon for another free oil change for next time, plus a 10% discount on the $600 service.

Now some folks would say that 2 days of my time plus the Saturday was a lot and I would agree but it wasn’t just about the time, it was about me really leaning into who I am as a person. I was never snarky nor complaining. I was supportive and encouraging. I knew they were doing their best and they made every effort to keep me updated and to do their very best. They were fair and honest. So why would I be mad?

After the day I had with the jerk I was pleased to be working with people who were kind and generous and were doing their best in a difficult situation. I left them a 5-star review. And I will go back to them in the future, as needed, not just for my free oil change.

Sometimes we are in situations that show us much more about who we are vs who we used to be. Back 20 years ago I would have been pouty and a ‘poor me’. Now, that never occurred to me.

And I am pleased to know that I showed up, even without trying or doing it consciously, as the person that I want to be. Kind, supportive, encouraging, patient and willing to receive blessings.

I also was grateful that I had allowed myself to feel all of my frustration and overwhelm concerning the jerk the day before and to allow myself to cry and release it. I leaned into how I was feeling in the moment and felt it, expressed it, and let it go.

I am confident that allowed me to be so detached by the multiple day process. I didn’t hold anything back in either situation. I felt what I was feeling. And I am happy with how it all turned out.

Are you leaning into your feelings?