‘It’ll be good’ is one of those statements that should be viewed with the same wariness awarded to ‘trust me’ and ‘everything is fine’. You know, the kind of wariness reserved for encounters with poisonous snakes and Wells Fargo bankers; the sort of thing where you back away slowly, careful not to make any sudden moves. You don’t want to turn around either, less you catch a fang in the ass. That’s why when I curled up on the couch at 2 PM this Sunday morning I should have muted the voice in my head that said, ‘just get dressed and go to the store. It’ll be good.’
I wanted a new cleaning remedy for the dog-worn living room carpet. I read that Vodka’s bacteria-slaying properties made it an excellent, if unconventional, choice for a cleaning experiment. I was out, so the choice was stay home and endure the lingering hint of Yorkie accidents or get off my lazy butt and do something about it. I’ve been on a new page lately. Everything is in high gear for me in terms of mindfulness, self-reflection, and action. When the voice said what it said I decided to listen.
It didn’t even take a block to regret my decision. A sound started in my tire as I rounded the corner. A wet ‘thwock’ followed by a repetitive thump that matched the cadence of my RPMs. This couldn’t be a good thing. I slowed, turned, and parked before inspecting the tires for damage. The bolt stuck in my tire was what the Big O salesman referred to as ‘a huge one’. It burrowed into the groove of my tire with only a fat round washer to prevent it from punching all the way through. I got to the tire store relying on a 17 MPH coast and hazard lights that made more people angry than they raised concerns.
Now I am at Fry’s thinking about how the universe works. Turns out both front tires—only a year old—where about to give. The tread was completely worn out and it looked dangerous to even a novice like me. Still, I would not have looked and would’ve wound up in a worse situation. See, the universe tells you things so long as you’re willing to listen. These messages are largely indirect, coming in signs and portents. My pocket is lighter from the experience, but I am learning to listen.
Now the goal is to listen to the signs and portents in the rest of my life. There are messages out there that I have chosen to ignore. I can’t let that stand. I’ll listen, see. It’ll be good.