When Life Throws Punches You Can Always Count On Grandpa Family
When Life Throws Punches
By Author Donna Jean McDunn
Have you ever woke in the morning and found the world, as you knew it, no longer existed? That happened to me recently and it was not fun, but did I give up and crawl back into my bed? No! I faced the day head on like a true black belt.
That’s what we all have to do from time to time when our world is changed without our permission. No one is immune until you’re dead, and I don’t know about you, but that’s one place I’m not too anxious to see anytime soon.
So how do we cope? Is all change good or bad?
In my opinion, not all change is good or bad. Winning the lottery, getting a raise, changing jobs, because the one you have sucks, buying a new car or house; these are things that have the potential of good, for obvious reasons, but sometimes turn bad, but incase someone doesn’t see the good and the bad, let me explain a little.
Okay, so you won the lottery, you are now the newest millionaire. You can buy anything you want, live anywhere, new house, new car, no more boss, travel is no longer a problem, so many good things.
But then the leaches start coming out of the woodwork wanting your money. Suddenly you have an agent and he’s investing you’re money in stocks and bonds and whatever. Your lawyer is supposed to look out for you and keep his eye on the agent.
You’re too busy having fun and helping the less fortunate to notice what your lawyer and agent are really doing. You’re a good and trusting person, so you’re loaning and giving and buying and…hold on…you’re a millionaire right, so why is the bank foreclosing on…everything? It’s because life throws punches and even when we’re paying attention, those punches can hurt.
Yeah, you say, I suppose that could happen to a lottery winner if he had his head up his butt, but what about the other things you mentioned, how could those things be bad and good?
Okay, so you got a nice big raise, but you better duck, because life is about to throw another punch your way. Now your boss is going to want you to work late, come in early, skip lunches, be at his beck and call day or night. You want to keep your job, you like it, it pays well, it also pays the bills, but now you’re only home to sleep.
Your wife/husband is about to leave you and take the kids. You’ll have to pay child support and alimony for the next umpteen years and even worse than that, move in with your sister’s family. You’ll never recover your losses and you don’t have a life anymore, except at work. Now you realize you hate this job, so to save your marriage you quit and find a new job.
Oh, oh, you’d better duck again because here it comes. Instead of the new job being your salvation, it turns out the boss is even more demanding than the last one. He sends you on business trips for weeks at a time and to top it off, you had to take a cut in pay because of the economy. You don’t even get home to sleep anymore. Your spouse is threatening to leave or lock you out of the house.
Hold on, you say, I suppose that could happen, but getting a new car or house, how can those things be bad?
I have the perfect examples.
My sister-in-law bought a new car so she didn’t have to worry about maintenance. She was a single mom with one son. She figured the warranty would cover pretty much everything. She’d be worry free.
She loved the new car; hence, the good.
It drove great and was easy on gas, but wait for it…here comes the sucker punch…one day, a few weeks later, while driving down the highway…it just stopped running like someone flipped a switch. She had it towed back to the dealer for them to fix. They had it for two weeks. It started again when it was unloaded and every time they turned the key it fired right off. They found nothing wrong.
My sister-in-law took it home and for a few days it ran perfectly, until one day it stopped again. It went back to the dealer. They found nothing wrong. This continued for several months. Sometimes she could drive it for several weeks, other times just a few days.
The mechanics thought it must be electrical, but no one knew for sure. They replaced things though, hoping to fix the problem, but each time the car would die, refuse to start again and then suddenly start.
Finally, one afternoon, on her way home, the car stopped again. She was fed up with the dealership, so she called her brother, my husband, and asked him to please look at it. She told him where it died on the highway and that she’d left the key under the floor mat.
When he arrived at the designated spot, the car was gone. To this day, no one has seen it since. We live in a small town and everyone knows everyone else’s business, even the police. They knew of the problems my sister-in-law was having. After the car was reported stolen, they contacted my husband and asked him where he dumped the car. I swear, he didn’t do it. They sure thought he had, but of course, they didn’t have any proof, because there was none.
My sister-in-law had to fight the insurance company to get a replacement for the stolen car, because she’d left the keys in it, but in the end this punch from life turned out to be a blessing in disguise.
Hang on; we’re not done yet. I haven’t showed you the example of the good and the bad of buying a new home:
My niece and her husband bought a new house one spring. They loved it. But soon after moving in, life decided to throw them a punch. It began to rain and didn’t stop for several days. The windows leaked and then the basement flooded. Remember, this is a brand new house.
But the worst punch, was the driveway. The house was built on a little hill and the driveway sloped down toward the street. It began to crack from the rainwater eroding the yard and allowing water to undermine the driveway. It became so bad, they couldn’t use it. They notified the contractor of what was happening. He said it wasn’t his problem.
They contacted their insurance. They said we’re sorry, but it’s not covered. They tried to fight the contractor and the insurance, but to no avail. In the end, her father and uncles repaired the damage and rerouted the flow of water. They also fixed the windows and several other things the contractors had screwed up. They now love their house again.
So, as the examples have shone, not all change is bad, but not all is good either. I guess what I’m trying to point out is when the punches from life come, you have to pick yourself up like a black belt…brush yourself off… and call your family and friends for help.
Of course, there are always some family members and friends who won’t answer that call, but that’s for another blog, for now take comfort in the ones that do.
As always, I appreciate your opinions or questions. Please, leave a comment and allow me to find your words, so I can learn what has inspired you to use your imagination to create. If you leave your blog address or where you can be found on Facebook or Twitter I will leave a comment, like, or Tweet in return.
It’s been said that writing is a lonely business and that’s true, but if we writers and readers continue to support one another, then we are no longer alone. I’d love to hear from you and read your work.
Some of my work can be found online: Here’s a direct link to my children’s story “Pack Leader” at Knowonder Magazine. http://www.knowonder.com/2011/11/03/pack-leader-short-bedtime-stories/
I also have a children’s story, “The Golden Stallion” online at www.storiesthatlift.com. Once on the site click on the Story Library and then Children’s Stories
In May 2012, my children’s story, “Gus’ Big Adventure” will be published at Bumples Magazine. http://www.bumples.com/
Sometime by June 30, 2012 my first adult short story, “Saving Katie” will be published at www.thepinkchameleon.com.
Donna Jean McDunn 