Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours. I for one am full up to my eyeballs with turkey, newfie stuffing, mash potatoes and pumpkin cheesecake! Yum-O! Every year we have to go around the table for that dreaded game of “what are you thankful for this year?” And hope that I can come up with something better than, “I’m thankful for the food on the table.” or like my nephew, “I’m thankful for my parents…and hot chocolate.” (damn he’s cute)
This year I am thankful for so much. My health, my family’s health, the love and support of my friends and that my husband was strong enough to kick in the door at Gramma’s house to rescue our smallest child who got stuck in the bathroom. Sorry Gramma.
But what I’m REALLY thankful for this year is the speeding ticket I got the other day.
Weird right?
So, here’s what happened…I was running late (what else is new) for Brigette’s after school activity. I was on a deserted country road. Non residential, not a school zone and I was going a smidge over the speed limit (don’t you judge me). All of a sudden a cop car comes at me from the opposite direction. BUSTED!
D-OH!
I immediately pulled over and dug out my license, insurance and registration and waited for the pain. And oh, was I in for a world of pain. Not only did he give me a ticket for my 3 days expired insurance card and a large ticket for speeding but also a lengthy lecture about how he doesn’t like attending car accidents when little ones are involved and how I should be more responsible with my kids lives. Oh yeah, he was PISSED at me, I mean, he took it personally that he had to pull me over. “Yes sir, I understand.” was my reply for most things he said. But when he finally came back to my car to give me the tickets I smiled at him and said, “Thank you”. Yes, with no sarcasm or bitchiness at all, I thanked the very angry officer for the wake-up call. I thanked him for totally embarrassing me in front of my kids. I thanked him for helping me teach my kids one of the responsibilities of being a driver. I thanked him for changing the outcome of my day.
I thanked him for slowing me down. Why the hell am I in such a hurry? All. The. Time.
He smiled.
He said, you’re welcome.
I drove off and smiled hoping that I turned his mood around because maybe he was having a bad day or maybe he got some bad news before he came across me?
And maybe he won’t give the next mom a $179 ticket for an insurance card that was expired 3 days ago because come on man, that’s was totally uncalled-for!
Ugh!
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I love that you thanked him. Good for you! We are always in a hurry, but that’s a heck of a lesson!
Yeah, three days? That hurts!! But it is a good lesson and you took it like a champ 🙂
Pass over some turkey, yummy..
I think that’s a great lesson to learn. Sometimes, I find myself rushing from one activity to the other, and I have to tell myself, “What on earth will be missed in the first five minutes of this class/playtime/activity-thingy?”
Really, I’ve just got to slow down, and book myself less.
Awe, this kind of choked me up a bit! I am one of the running late moms, and for me there seriously is no excuse at all – my daughter just graduated and drives herself to wherever she needs to go! So why haven’t I gotten over the frenzied running late thing? Who knows!! Thank you for this great post. It’s my wake-up call!!!
When you said “Why the hell am I in such a hurry? All. The. Time.” – THAT.IS.ME!!! I don’t have little ones with me most times, but there are others on the road who do. This was a TOTAL WAKE UP CALL for me too! Thank you for sharing!
Good for you – that was a great way to look at it! You’re so right – always rushing, and it doesn’t really seem to help, does it?
Sometimes wake up calls suck, also, grumpy officers suck. I also think that insurance cards that expire suck. But you have a great smile, and that doesn’t suck.