Two weeks ago I found myself stranded on an Interstate 5 off-ramp in Washington state.
It was sunny at 4:30 that afternoon. I had had a good day. My puppy Mei Mei and I met a friend and her dogs at a fabulous park on Lake Union in Seattle. Later, I relaxed in the sun outside a Starbucks while Mei Mei napped. Then, I headed to meet my husband in a small town called Castle Rock, where we were going to camp for the night. Castle Rock High School was his stopping point along the 206 mile bike ride he was doing from Seattle to Portland. He was counting on me–I had food, a change of clothes, and all of the camping gear.
But on the side of that interstate exit that afternoon, I wasn’t sure if I’d make it to Castle Rock. You see, the car died. Died as in smoking so badly I was afraid it was going to catch on fire. Thankfully, there was no fire.
After my fire-panic subsided and Mei Mei and I were safely out of the car, I called AAA for a tow. While on hold I crossed my fingers; maybe the tow truck driver would come quickly and have a magic solution to the car problem so I can get on my way to meet Paul. That would be nice.
That wasn’t what happened. Instead, the events that followed were like a torrential downpour. I’ll skip the details and tell you this: our car is still at the shop, and I have no idea when we’ll get it back. One thing after another kept going wrong, beginning the moment I found myself stranded on that off-ramp.
However, when it rains, you may see rainbows and leprechauns. Maybe even a pot of gold.
One thing I’ve learned since I moved to Oregon is that some rainy days come with rainbows if you take the time to look for them. Sometimes you’ll even see leprechauns. Rainbows and leprechauns are signs that everything is going to be okay. Here are the ones I saw on that Saturday afternoon and the few days that followed.
Two friendly gentlemen who helped me push my car to the side of the off-ramp so I wouldn’t block traffic.
A scary-looking yet very friendly tow truck driver who was a sweetheart to my freaked-out puppy. He shared funny stories about his own dog while towing my car to a repair shop.
A taxi cab dispatch agent, bless his compassionate heart. I said “I have my dog with me. Can I bring her?” He replied, “Is she a service dog?” To which I honestly replied, “No, she’s not a service dog.” He was persistent and said, “Is she a service dog? That’s a hint, ma’am.” …Mei Mei came with me in the cab.
The cab driver, who drove me in a pretty nice town car, was patient and kind to my slobbering, anxious pup while he drove us 45 minutes to the Seattle airport car rental terminal.
The woman at the Budget counter and the security guards in the rental car terminal who did not say one word about the puppy I had with me.
My sister and brother-in-law who let us unexpectedly crash at their place at a really inconvenient time for them.
My friend Anna who listened to me recount the whole disaster when we were supposed to be hanging out and having fun on Sunday.
My friend Katrina who I called to break into our house and hack into my computer to get my Monday client schedule, so I could call and cancel those clients.
My clients who were generously accommodating to my last-minute schedule change.
The mechanic in Washington state who didn’t charge us a penny for diagnosing the car after we decided to have it towed to Corvallis for repair.
Our mechanic who drove up to get the car and bring it down, saving us 10 hours of extra driving.
The woman at the local airport Budget counter who was able to work some magic so I didn’t have to pay an unplanned $400 one-way rental charge .
Paul’s parents who picked up us, our dog, and all of our stuff at the local airport’s Budget counter, even taking us out to dinner after the whole ordeal.
Rainbows and leprechauns only mean one thing: The pot of gold has got to be here somewhere.
Here’s how I know…
In January of this year, our car was broken into while we were snowshoeing. They stole about $800 worth of clothes, cash, snow gear, and my iPhone. I waited on replacing the iPhone. Do I buy a new one or wait for the next model? What happens if I cancel–I still have that great corporate discount.
I waited and waited. I borrowed a phone to get me by. 2 months later I decided to go low-tech. No more iPhone. Best damn decision. Not having it has helped me technologically and mentally disconnect more often and more easily.
Believe it or not, having my iPhone stolen was the pot of gold. As much as I loved my iPhone, I’m happier without it.
Now after this second car event, I’m watching for the gold.
I’ve seen a few coins.
Several small, good things have come from not having our car. I’m biking for occasional errands. Mei Mei has learned to ride in the other car without her kennel. We see that we are truly just fine with only one car.
The gold will appear.
The pot gold doesn’t immediately appear. It’s only been 2 weeks. It took 2 months for me to find the gold from the January break-in event. It takes time, and it will appear. I am looking forward to finding it, because after all of this rain, and the rainbows and leprechauns, the gold has got to be out there somewhere.
Now it’s your turn.
Tell me about a time when it was raining and you decided to chase rainbows and look for leprechauns. Did you find a pot of gold?
Jenny
LOVE this post! So many times I have been in these types of situations and the angels totally appear. I recall a cell-phone less zone near Lake Tahoe with tire chains wrapped around the wheel axel and an anxious 7 year old in the back of the car while my sister and I tried to figure out how to get the heck out of the mess. A true gentleman appeared out of nowhere to save us. Really, like he could have been on TV. Also my husband and I went 2 years with one car. Best thing we ever did. I don’t know if I could give up my i-Phone though. Sometimes I take it to bed with me! Thanks for reminding of us of the pot of gold at the end!
Sounds like that gentleman truly was a leprechaun… maybe even an angel! 2 years with only one car and it was good? Hmmm…. you’re making me think…
Funny about the iPhone. I was thinking as I wrote this post because I can see getting one again someday. It was the “taking the phone to bed” that was part of the problem for me. Although it wasn’t literal, I was always connected, always online, and my brain started overloading. It took having the iPhone stolen for me to recognize the insanity!
Thanks for being here, Laura!
Your post is wonderful Jenny! I have learned through life’s ups & down to always look for the bright side, or as you would say the rainbows and leprechauns. Four years ago I lost everything. It was right before the recession really hit. I was off work from a health issue trying to live on temporary disability. Through several unforeseen series of events, the house we were renting and all of our things were gone, down to the salt & pepper shakers (I actually fell apart in the grocery store when I realized I did not even have a salt & pepper shaker set).
My teenage son and I had our clothes left and a few personal items and that was it. I had to find a new place for us to live on a very limited income. After several weeks I was able to rent a very small one bedroom apartment. I was amazed at how quickly “things” came back into our new little home. I remember thinking each item that came to us was a little gift from God. It was a very hard time however I am so grateful for the experience. It taught me that material things are not everything.
There were so many rainbows and leprechauns! They were present everyday. Smiles, gifts, a property manager who “overlooked” the fact I really did not qualify financially and rented to me anyway, wonderful new neighbors in the apartment complex, eventually being released to go back to work and getting a new job that paid more than I was making…the list goes on and on.
Most of all, the GOLD: I learned how to be grateful no matter the circumstance and look for the good in every situation.
I was able to move into a larger apartment and eventually back into a house. I have even taught financial classes to people struggling to get back onto their feet!
Although I do not know how, I now have THREE sets of salt & pepper shakers. I think they are my reminders to cherish every day and to find the rainbows and leprechauns to be grateful for in everything!
Rasz, You’re amazing! That is quite a story, going down to ZERO and turning it around. I LOVE the gold you found: “I learned how to be grateful no matter the circumstance and look for the good in every situation.” That is a keeper, for life!
Your three salt and pepper shakers make me smile. What a wonderful, small, every day reminder.
Thanks for being here and sharing your story!
Jenny, what a waaaaayyyyyy cool story! Its amazing how many people got to turn their hearts into pots of gold along the way to support you and your dear hubby. Without your car breaking down, there would have been no one to help. No one to gift their love to. And that is a very sad state for human leprechauns!
And you… making pots of gold from all these people who stopped along the way. Such a treasure for all of you!! Tis our true nature, human leprechauns, to make gold out of the mucky yuck of life! otherwise as a species, we would have disappeared long, long ago.
Thank you so much for the story reminder. Going to use me leprechaun eyes to find my pots of gold! They are around here somewhere!! xo
It was amazing, Kathleen. There were so many things that went right for everything that went wrong–it was hard not to notice.
I was also amazed at the fact that I saw all the good things; it is so easy to get caught up in the mess, but this time I didn’t.
Here’s to rainbows and leprechauns in your life! Thanks for being here!
Umm, this could also be called being in denial. I’m really glad you are seeing the positive, I believe in rainbows, pots of gold, etc. I believe everything happens for a reason. And sometimes that reason is for us to take a deeper look at where we might be out of sync with our highest good, Money being stolen, cars dying on us – they are all whispers. Not to get down on ourselves or negative, but not to be afraid at looking at what else is there we might to see and is trying to get our attention. Maybe some of you will boo me for speaking in this
manner, but the friends I value the most, are the ones who honestly let me know how they feel. You will eventually find gold, but you may need to deal with going through some of the crap first before you find it. Look at our dear girlfriend Tanya Paluso and her recent post. The first video was her trying to find the gold in having her boyfriend kick her out and ending their relationship. Her second video is allowing herself. to be human and feel the sadness and the crap you have to go through, before you can honestly find the gold. Our soul speaks to us in whispers. If you don’t pay attention to the whispers, you will start getting shouts. I love the sentiment here, I understand what you are saying and I’m sure your wonderful, magical attitude made bad situations turn out better. But i also want to say, listen to the whispers. I am an Intuitive counselor, I get some wonderful spiritual people who are in complete denial and are hiding behind their “light ” attitude, ( good resource: Dark Side of The Light Chasers ). I am certainly not saying this about you Jenny, I don’t know you well enough. This is just what your post brought up for me. I have certainly had my angel moments, where disaster struck and somehow it all ended up smelling like roses. But I also took responsibility , to look at the disaster that was originally created, Often to realize, the lesson to be learned was, to choose to learn my lessons when they are just whispers, so they don’t have to turn into shouts. ( Maybe I just got my next blog idea ! ) I appreciate you sharing your magical point of view.
Pat, I appreciate your point of view, and it’s great that you brought this to the discussion.
Historically I have excelled at analyzing all of the reasons I don’t have a “high enough vibration” or “need to be taught a lesson.” When the car was broken into in January I beat myself down to a pulp with all sorts of negative self-talk and blame, trying to find the lesson I was supposed to learn. Two weeks ago, on the side of the highway, there was plenty of swearing and blame about what I’m not doing right and the messages I’m not hearing. My use of rainbows, leprechauns, and pots of gold are for lightness and smiles, not for talking ourselves into magical thinking and denial.
It is true that the universe speaks in whispers–and that is what I call the pot of gold. Having my iPhone stolen made me mad. Then I heard the whisper I needed to hear: disconnect from technology. As for this car situation, I don’t know the pot of gold. For me, the whispers of the universe are slowly shared over time, so I wait patiently to hear them. I needed to let the frustration of the ordeal move through me and wait until I get the car back and see what happens. That’s how I hear the universe’s whispers.
Yes, there are a lot of people who are in denial about a difficult situation and try to make themselves feel happy with rainbows and a light attitude. The one distinction, at least in my mind, between denial and true positive thinking, is how and when the “light” attitude appears. If someone hasn’t FELT the emotions associated with their predicament (maybe such as the example you mention?) and try to jump right to positive thinking without allowing the difficult situation to BE exactly as it is–that is denial. If someone allows themselves to experience anger, frustration, sadness, or whatever emotion, let that emotion move through their body, and allow the situation to be exactly as it is, then the positive side shows up–that’s not denial. A good reference for feeling emotions is Karla McLaren’s book, The Language of Emotions. Here’s a blog post of hers that touches on the topic. http://karlamclaren.com/is-it-a-feeling-or-is-it-an-emotion
Thanks for sharing your perspective here; it’s always welcome.
Hi Jenny,
I believe we are saying the same thing. I didn’t say you needed to get down on yourself, beat yourself up, or analyze a thing to death. What I did say, was to feel what you are honestly feeling at the time. And to accept what you are feeling. Rather than fight it or judge it. I believe you are now saying that as well in your reply.
But the other thing I know to be true, is when we experience accidents, break-downs,
they are whispers about something. That maybe we need to look at a pattern we are repeating , or learn about a negative belief we are still holding onto. Right there is the gold. And perhaps that what you are sharing as well.
You’re right, Pat. When we experience things breaking or not working, it is a sign. I was talking with a friend about a month ago who said everything was breaking around her; the 6 pack holder for some soda in glass bottles broke in the grocery store, her shower curtain rod, among other things. She and I talked through it and the clear message was she needed to give herself a break. Sometimes the messages aren’t so obvious as that one, but they are there.
Thanks for this post. At first I was thinking how I wish more people in my life thought like this. Instead of dwelling on negative events like they were life or death. Then as I read more and more I realized this was a lesson only for me. And me worrying about other people’s negativity was my problem, not theirs. I love your attitude and your spirit- I hope to adapt your pot of gold theory myself 🙂
Isn’t that true, Sammi?! We read something and see how it could apply to someone else, or how it’s not for us… yet it is!
See my comment above about finding pots of gold. It’s about allowing the frustration/anger/sadness of the moment to BE just as it is FIRST, then trust and allow… then the pot of gold appears.
Jenny, I just read this post and I cannot believe that this is what happened after our fun dog park morning. I so enjoyed your post, thank you for sharing this.
Yes, Elise! That was the afternoon after the doggies played at the park. We had so much fun, but the car incident was a doozy.
Sammi I read your comment and so agree with you. I have been focusing on some family members who are negative so much lately, talking to them, trying to get them to see a different , viewpoint and spending lots of energy on what “they” are doing. I also found this is definitely for ME…their lesson will come in their time. The more I focus on ME and not on others, the better I see life in general. Just wanted you to know that your comment really resonated with me. Thank you!