Freedom Lessons- Getting Stuck in the Truck
A meditation in patience and humility.
When I set out on my cross-country road trip, I knew I would face many new and unexpected challenges. But even knowing this I could not have anticipated the lessons I would learn in the Black Hills of South Dakota. After spending the day searching for the perfect spot I finally found an isolated and scenic location where I intended on spending a few days. It was my first time camping alone in the woods and as I inched my truck down onto the damp grass a knot fell in my stomach- I had gone too far. I quickly shifted into reverse and only moved a few inches before my tires spun out. I tried again. And again. But my attempts to free myself only seemed to get me more stuck.
I spent hours shifting back and forth, hoping to gain enough momentum to pull myself out of the muddy ditch I was creating. Once the sun went down, the reality of my situation fully set in.
First, I called my best friend and cried. Then, I called the tow truck company. They wouldn’t be able to send anyone until morning. So, I did my best to get comfortable in my trailer which was pitched at such an insane angle that I felt dizzy just trying to stand in it.
The next morning I talked to the tow company dispatcher as soon as I woke up and was the first on the list for the day. They requested photos of the rig but I didn’t have enough cell service to send them. So I walked a mile or two back down the road I came in on to find enough service to send the photos. Once they finally went through I walked back to camp and set out my lawn chair among the wild landscape of the Black Hills and read my book to pass the time.
The damage was minimal; two broken stabilizing jacks, a lost cotter pin, and a broken sewer valve, about $200 to fix myself.
But the lesson of learning when to ask for help… priceless.
