Me and my little red mail car....are having a time getting used to each other. And actually, if you were just to drive it regular and not try and make her into a mail car, she would be just fine.
One of the first things added to her, is the Flashing Light. The first one, was awesome, but it kept buring out fuses...so I had a light for the first half hour of my 4 1/2 hour route. The second one, same thing...it blew fuses before I hit the coutry roads. Finally we got one that would not blow fuses, but when I went over 40 miles an hour, IT blew off the roof.
The first time this happened, I didn't know what in the world had happened, I heard a clunking sound on the drivers door....then I saw the wire. The first day, this happened 4 times. Yes, I forgot to remember not to go fast. It truly looks odd to have a flashing light hanging down on the drivers door. Perhaps a new fade???
Today, the car's fan wouldn't blow...well, it didn't blow when I wanted it to blow...but later on, while driving on a rough gravel road, on came the fan. Guess it just needs a few bumps to wake it up. The same bumps seem to disconnect, momentarily, my Sirius Radio...so the bumps are good and bad for parts of the car.
Not having a cup holder has been a challenge to see where to put my drink. I purchased an old fashion cup holder that hangs from the window. It is on the door closet to me, the one I have to get out of to deliver packages. I have spilled pop now twice...Paul has taped it up, in hopes of it staying in place.
This car also has an automatic hair styler as well. I sit so close to the dash, my head is about on the ceiling and I have static standing up hair for most of my ride. Nice added bonus.
I am learning patience and finding creative ways to get my job done in this car. At times I feel and look completely stressed out....right down to the hair standing on end, flashing light on the door, pop dripping down the door....fan on...oh no, bump now off....radio on, bump, now radio off. Ugh...oh and deliver mail, watch for chickens in the road, along with other feathered friends....deer and a few dogs etc...oh and get close enough to the mail boxes so you can actually reach them without backing up.
Before most of the hazards of the job were outside of the car, now I seem to have a precariously balanced routine inside; which distracts me from the outside. As I concentrate of not going too fast, I forget that I am holding up traffic driving slowly down the road. Then I forget to go slow, and down comes the light. Now I have to stop...and now I really am a nuisance on the road.
I can see that the more distracted you are the less aware you become. If it wasn't so hazardous, it would be funny. When I step out of the car, I feel like I have been released from a highly confused space...
This shows me how it is like to live with lots of things going on inside of you...while trying to be in reality or in this moment of time. It is impossible be with both at the same time.
It is like having too many things begging for my attention at one time and I can't know which one to focus on first.
I certainly took for granted many things inside of the jeep. From the cup-holders, yes I had two. One for my water and one for my lunch drink. From the light never thinking of jumping off when I hit 40 miles an hour...to a nice and steady fan and radio playing tunes or CD's of my choice...let alone having my mail and packages easily accessible...and gas and break pedals in easy reach of my feet.
Having to adapt to a car instead of having the car all set for me has been an interesting experience to say the least. It for one showed me how spoiled I was and how I had come to not even see how much was set up for me, until it was no longer there.
I guess it true what they say, "You don't know what you got until it is gone..." And all I can know is that when I do get it back....I will appreciate it so much more than before!
