Puttering Through Life.

The Little Sad Engine that Couldn’t is very sad today. It’s smoking like crazy. It made this ticking noise this morning. I put oil in it because it was really low. I put gas in it because it was almost out. When it dies, I hope it goes peacefully without blowing up.

It’s funny how we nurse things along when all hope is lost. We didn’t drive it over a cliff or sell it for scrap. It still gets us to the store, the post office and to school. So many times, it’s easier to hold onto something that works only so-so instead of ditching it completely.

That’s the problem isn’t it? If I were to ditch the car or any of my little habits that only work so-so, with what would I replace it? I’m not riding my bike to the grocery store to buy milk. I’m not walking to my daughter’s school to pick her up when she’s sick with a sore throat. Subie is still the fastest way to Cheney Middle School from Eastern Washington University when I the where-are-you-Mom-my-concert-is-in-half-an-hour call from the forgotten child during finals week.

This is sort of like some of our habits or behaviors. We know, perhaps, that what we’re doing is not the best way forward, but what should we do instead? What if it’s all we know? As a result, we plow ahead, not knowing when the whole thing will blow up in our faces.

I don’t really have a bottom line here other than this advice: keep an eye on your heat gauge.