When you’re playing basketball you need to be ready to adjust to the changes on the court, just like you have to do in life sometimes. This morning I left my house at 7:00am to take my vanagon to the mechanic in Ballard. (You may have ready about the “Blue Bomber in an earlier post) Well, just as I was coming up the ramp to get on Highway 99, which was soon to be packed with the early morning traffic, my vanagon stopped running. Time to adjust.

My eyes darted to the gas gauge, the needle slowly lowered as the engine petered out. Phew, there was gas. Though maybe running out of gas would have been a good thing (except for the fact that I would feel stupid), an empty gas tank would be an easy fix. I lost all power, and like a guard running the fast break, I scanned ahead, assessed the situation and swerved to the left. It would have been more fun to take a player to the basket, but I was happy with finding a shoulder wide enough to skirt the soon-to-be bumper to bumper traffic and avoid the morning news for ruining the commute. There would be no helicopters overhead filming the blue Volkswagen blocking the road, just my own time lost.

My blue box rolled into the one spot on Highway 99 that has space for an extra car. I didn’t even utter a swear word. (though I’m certain if I’d been on my way to work or a basketball game, things might have been different.) I put the car in Park, put on the emergency flashers,  grabbed my cell and called for a tow. (This was not my first rodeo).

“The tow truck should be there in 30 minutes.” I hung up the phone, took a long look at the city waking up on the horizon, pulled out my book and started to read. Road Side Assistance pulled up and put out some orange cones to warn the increasing traffic to stay to the left. Then the driver sauntered up to see if I was okay.

“Guess where I was just headed?” I laughed as I was rolling down my window. Hoping he would appreciate the irony.

“A basketball game?” I smiled and then looked around the car. Basketball hightops and a soft leather basketball sat where a passenger should be. Three more balls were passengers on the back bench seat, and I was sporting a basketball sweatshirt.

My lips curled. ” No, not a basketball game, or I’d have been pissed that I’m stuck here on the road. I was on the way to my mechanic.” He smiled, gave a wave and wished me luck.

Playing basketball is like living life in so many ways. I would have to move forward and not alow this small defeat (being stuck on side of the highway) ruin my day. I would have to keep my head up, find solutions and move forward. I wrote, I read, I checked emails, I called my mom.

The first tow truck never found its way, even with detailed instructions. When the two-hour mark passed I was beginning to crack. I breathed and reminded myself that my family was healthy and we have a roof over our heads. I breathed some more. Exactly three hours from the time my engine stopped, the second tow truck arrived. The van was loaded and I was carted to Ballard, and to my mechanic. I gave him the key, walked to the bus stop, grabbed a coffee and doughnut for the road, and then boarded a bus to get home. The Ballard drawbridge went up. Breathe Sonya. Finally the bus continued. The bus lost it’s power steering as it neared town. (I’m not kidding). I boarded a new bus. I was tired of buses. The bus dropped me two miles from home.  Breathe and adjust. The clouds parted and though I was now five hours behind on my day, I walked home glad for the fresh air and sunshine, and thankful for some of the lessons I’ve learn on the court.