Car Karma

Every time I am attempting to get a really good parking spot, and one just opens up right when I pull into the lot I say "Car Karma, Baby."  It's kind of like when good things happen for My Chef, he says "Clean Livin', Hunter" (sometimes he likes to refer to me by my maiden when he is pointing out that he has had a few more years of "clean livin' under his belt than I do).  I digress.

It was Christmas Adam and My Mudda and I were running up to the mall for a little last minute shopping. I see a GREAT spot and squeal "Car Karma, Baby!"  In all of the excitement of being shopping with no children and an adult to discuss things with, I hardly noticed that I was coming in to the spot at a bad angle. My Mudda tries to point this fact out, but I feel my eyesight is better (fact) so I wave her warnings off.

The next thing I notice is the car in the adjoining spot starts to rock a little...like some massive truck was running up on it's fender. DOH! Oh no way, oh no way, oh no way. Immediately I have a flashback from 10 years ago when I was driving a 15 passenger van (belonging to my employer) with a few close friends (co-workers) headed to the local laundromat. I was paying so much attention to the dump truck on my left that I hardly noticed the UPS truck on my right and the "Nik, nik, nik, nik, nik" warnings from my friend.  I ended up sideswiping the parked UPS truck and am still not really sure what did more damage - running up on the truck's fender...or backing off of it. Either way, the van I was driving had a dent from the front tire well to the back of the sliding door. That's a long way on a 15 passenger van.

Every time I find myself in a situation where there is a split decision to be made, I do just that. Split. Once inside the mall, I was calling myself "The Bump and Runner." It wasn't like I HIT the car. I just bumped it, and kind of nudged it, a little. Was there a mark? Maybe. Would it buff right out with a good car wash? Maybe. Did I stick around to leave a note? No. AHHH. I am a terrible person!

Two hours later, when we emerged the safety of the mall, we noticed that my windows were not bashed in nor the tires slashed and there were no key marks down the sides of the truck. It was then that I decided that I owed the Car Karma - big time. It being the last of the holiday shopping, the traffic around the mall was terrible. I let people go in front of me as often as I could to repay the world for my foul actions.

The next day was Christmas Eve. And as a new tradition, My Chef and The Taz baked Santa a nice batch of sugar cookies decorated nicely with a big purple R.  The Taz and I, with Bear Cub in tow, took a batch of freshly baked cookies over to our neighbor. On the way over, I feel a little lighter in my step. Our sweet neighbor is Indian and probably actually believes in Karma. We are doing a nice thing and bringing her cookies. This may be my shot at righting the wrong I did the day before! (Did My Chef bake the cookies? Yes. Was it his idea to take cookies to the neighbor? Yes. But was I the one actually delivering the cookies? YES!)   And just in time for Santa!

So this Christmas as I was giving thanks to the Lord for the birth of Christ and for His forgiveness, I found myself also thanking Him for an Indian neighbor and praying that the owner of a certain green Jeep had the same forgiving heart. Is that bent? Maybe.