As we await the storm of the decade of the week, I pause to reflect and notice I have already broken my promise to post at least twice a week.  But, I have an excuse.  I had an accident last Friday.  Slipped on the ice into a pole.  I survived, mostly unscathed, if not a little more skittish. But my mind has been occupied with other thoughts, too jumbled to share, until now.

A reader suggested I find the positive slant and re-frame negative sayings.  Good idea, but I’m not sure I know enough of them.  I don’t often pay attention to things like that.  Especially if they’re negative sounding.  But, I thought, it might be a real challenge to find a positive slant on something as negative as a car accident.

I am grateful I wasn’t hurt.  And it could’ve been a whole lot worse.  That’s certainly a positive slant, but I mean to go further.

Let me say that this was my first accident.  Those who have been here before may think my musings trite.  But I can’t think of anything that’s easier to blame on yourself than this.  I hit a pole after all.  It would be nice to blame it, but we all know poles don’t really jump in front of you.  And, anyway, that pole probably saved my life.  I could blame the ice, but a lot of people drove through that corner and didn’t slide. Ultimately this one is on me.  There’s no one else to blame. 

So, there I was, blaming myself for this stupid accident, when I found out my car’s too old.  So there is no collision. This is going to cost me money!  And I can’t get to work, where they’re expecting me.  I can’t do the things I planned to do. All my bad. Any way you slice this, even without the cost, this is going to be a major hassle and a big set back.  And then there is the cost . . . So, my friends, how do I find the positive slant in this mess?

The first thing I noticed was the way I was chatting away in my head, blaming myself for all of this.  No wonder I felt so bad. One of the things I’ve been pondering lately is how we can use our feelings to turn around and have them point out what we’re telling ourselves.  In doing this I realized that lately I have been on my case a lot about how I’m not keeping up – not drinking enough water, not getting enough sleep . . . yada yada ya.  So, thanks to this accident, I saw that I need to make an effort to curtail that negative talk.  Instead, I want to notice where I am keeping up.

The other thing that came out of this is that we are now forced to rethink our winter transportation. My reliable old Toyota would’ve gone on forever.  But the truth is, it is not appropriate transportation for commuting hundreds of miles a week in questionable conditions.  This is definitely a Positive Slant.

Along those lines, I suppose I have to say that when you run into a pole it could well be the Universe telling you to STOP.  When I did that, I realized I have been taking the Grand Old Lady Winter for granted.  I calculated that 12 of the last 14 or so years, I have been off the roads in inclement winter weather.  So, I am not prepared and not practiced in the art of turning into the turn.  For goodness’ sakes, I don’t have boots or a scraper!  Certainly, it is time to start thinking about what I need for winter.

Before this is all over, I intend to be better prepared and have a more appropriate, more stable vehicle under me for traveling in winter.  Positive Slant?  I think so.