My Day Today

I did a dumb thing today. I locked myself out of my car with the keys left in the ignition at Walmart.

After searching for several minutes in my purse and coat pockets, I had a sinking feeling in my gut that I had lost my keys somewhere in the store. I couldn't see my keys in the ignition from the driver's side window. I took a deep breath and walked around to the other side of the car, hoping that by some miracle I'd see my keys dangling from beneath the steering wheel. I looked. There they were! I was so happy. It could have been worse - I could've lost my keys somewhere in the megastore that is Walmart.

Well, I thought, I think I have a spare key in a box in the treasure chest I keep in my bedroom. But, my dad can't drive right now, my mom's at work, and my sons are at work also. My daughter wasn't working today, but she is not like me, she is like my mother. Both my daughter and mother are "go-ers". They don't like to stay at home. They are always on the go somewhere with a neverending energy supply that completely mystifies me. It would be a miracle to catch her at home on her day off. She is rarely home on her day off. So, having only 8 measley units left on my tracfone minute cell-phone, I called my oldest son's home who would be getting off work within 30 minutes or so to leave a message. My daughter was there visiting with my daughter-in-law! A friend was on the way to pick her up, my daughter said, but that was okay, they could swing by and get me. I was so happy. It could've been worse - no one could've been home to take my distress call.

She and her friends came and picked me up and took me to get the spare key that I thought I had. "It could've been worse", my daughter said as we were riding in the car, "you could've left your keys inside an unlocked car and someone could have stolen it." Yes, it could've been worse, I agreed. My daughter and her friends were even going to take me back to pick up my car. But, I knew they had plans and I would have to search for the key. My mother was available now to take me after my car once I found the spare key. So, I thanked them and they went on.

Oh, drats! I found my box of keys and it had alot of spare keys in it, except for the one I needed. I couldn't believe it. I had the spare trunk key! Where did I put that spare key to the car door? I couldn't find it. And I didn't have enough money left to call a locksmith either. Oh, drats!

My mom loaned me the money for the locksmith without hesitation. In fact, she knew a locksmith who might even give us a break on the cost of retrieving my keys inside the locked car. She called him for me.

My mother drove me up to Walmart and we met the locksmith there. He unlocked the door with the tools locksmiths have and I retrieved my keys from the ignition. He did give us a discount on the cost too. Without my mother even asking. So, you know, it could've been worse - I could owe my mother alot more money for this dumb thing that I did.

Today was a very good day. There were so many things that could've been worse and weren't.

How do people who don't have families who care about them survive in this world?