How
often does something going wrong create a phantom pain of sorts
for you?
I’m
thinking of those times when you encounter a problem, an issue,
a repair need… whatever… and potentially as a direct result, you
find yourself fearing a repeat.
Let’s
say you’re driving your car. You hear a noise. You bring it to
the shop and get the muffler replaced. No more noise.
Another
time, the car won’t start and you bring on the jumper cables.
After getting it running, you take it out on a long drive that
day, and over the next few days it appears to be starting without
issue.
In
the first case, the problem was identified and repairs made. Chances
are good, with no noise and the issue identified, that from the
first feet out of the service station you are no longer getting
into the car wondering if the muffler is failing. But in the second,
you never replaced the battery or checked the alternator. Just
a jumpstart got it moving again. Even if you could identify something
like leaving your lights on as the cause, in this situation you
might find every turn of the key met with a deep breath and crossed
fingers.
The
general idea is that whether the car, the house, or anything in
particular, when you come across something that isn’t doing what
it’s supposed to do… when something happens that isn’t supposed
to happen… there are circumstances that seem to cause few lingering
worries while others create ongoing fears.
Light
doesn’t turn on, likely a dead bulb, replace with new bulb, light
turns on, done.
Strange
storm brings wind and ice and snow and assorted fun, ice dams
form on roof backing up water into the ceilings including some
lovely discoveries in light fixtures, clean up problems and weather
breaks with no lingering problems discovered, every forecast involving
the slightest amount of moisture triggers concerns and horrible
thoughts of ice dams and electrical issues and the house burning
down.
A
few months ago, Terry and I began noticing signs of some critters
in the yard. Spots with digging and holes and such all over the
place. One evening, after the sun had set, I walked onto the deck
in the back of our house and looked across the yard. Off in a
far corner, where the spotlights were fading a bit due to distance,
movement. Grab a flashlight… careful, careful, no noise and slow
movements back onto the deck… thank goodness careful and thank
goodness plenty of distance between edge of deck and the corner
of the yard because… skunk. In addition to our new friend the
identified skunk, we felt pretty certain an unidentified raccoon
had been enjoying the overnight service window of the available
buffet offered by our bird feeders.
The
feeders were emptied and then brought inside for storage. I walked
around the yard, checked out some things like our shed, and sealed
up access points. Over time, the signs of visitors disappeared.
Still… on any evening… I turn on spotlights, grab a flashlight,
and check things out quite carefully before moving in any direction
away from the house.
It’s
a weird sensation created by certain developments. Consider a
drainage ditch out along the front edges of a property. And your
first reaction, especially if you’ve never lived in a house with
such a feature in the yard, might just be to wonder why you would
consider it at all. That said…
The
first time you see it completely filled and moving a strong current
of water, try following that sight with not considering it any
and every time it rains. Impossible.
I
suppose the peace of mind develops from the cause and correction…
the pairing of both, the balance if you will… where being able
to know both what is wrong and that the proper corrections have
been made assists in completing the entire process. For most of
us, if both sides aren’t completed, the anxieties spread. (Kind
of clearing the ear worms so to speak, where once part of a song
gets in your head, often the only release from repetitive purgatory
comes from listening to the entire song.)
Friend
of mine had a very slow oil leak in a very old car years ago.
His potential solutions for the issue included repairs for which
a very costly estimate had been provided… as in, dollars at a
level above and beyond the value of his car. His eventual solution
for the problem was a case of oil in the trunk, a pan under the
leaking area every evening when he parked it in his driveway,
and checking things out with the dipstick every morning before
starting it. He dealt with the problem all the time, but managed
to get several more months out of the car while he saved whatever
he could—including the dollars that would have gone into a repair—to
make his purchase of a replacement.
Funny
note for that story? He keeps two bottles of oil and a couple
of tools in a kit he stores in the truck of every car he’s owned
since. One older experience constantly influencing the new.
Different
friend of mine was having horrendous electrical issues with his
car. He claims that AAA had even told him no more tows for electrical
issues on that car level of horrendous. To this day he remains
at the extreme sides of peculiar and quirky with his habits of
checking his vehicle for any and all electrical usage.
I’ve
been thinking of putting the bird feeders back out. Colder weather
is coming, I enjoy watching the birds, and I like thinking that
our efforts help them out a bit when food is scarce. Tonight though,
I need to grab a flashlight and head out on the deck. I want to
make sure that previous visitor is gone for good before I reopen
the buffet.