On Flat Tires

Two weeks ago, I left a friend's house on a Sunday evening and promptly ran over a curb. The driver's side front tire popped and I flattened a hubcap as I drove to a nearby Whole Foods parking lot. Thankfully, there were friends there who knew how to change a spare (I now know how to change a spare thanks to them).
It was an adventure, standing in the middle of a Whole Foods parking lot and getting drenched in the downpour. The whole debacle also took a lot longer than it should have, mostly because I hadn't known the extent of the damage but the way the car was reacting had been freaking me out, so I parked on a slight slope (word for the wise, don't ever do that). I hated that entire time and (as it was a rather recent event) I'm still trying to get over the mental block I have towards driving. The entire time we were standing in the parking lot, I needed people to be there with me. I needed the emotional support because I was freaking out so badly.

The following Sunday, my Sunday School class talked about the parable of the Good Samaritan and if we'd ever had an experience like that, where we were completely reliant on the help of another person and it was their kindness that saved the day. The follow-up question was a good one as well, as we were asked if that experience had taught us anything, even if it just meant being compassionate to those in a similar situation.
I had needed the kindness in the parking lot because, again, I had no idea what the first step to changing a flat tire was. Their kindness turned a disaster into a miserably happy memory in my mind.

Thursday rolls around and we discover that some friends got a flat tire while they were at our martial arts school. While I wasn't able to do much to help (the guys had that covered), I was able to be the emotional support to their daughter. She seemed okay and she was acting pretty normal, but I knew what it was like to be in that situation and she admitted to being a bit nervous. In all honesty, it's terrifying when you don't quite know what's going on and sometimes, you just need a hug.
That was exactly what she needed and I understood that -- but only because two weeks ago, I blew out a tire and had a mini-adventure in the Whole Foods parking lot.