Somewhere Along Hwy. 50 in Nevada.
Ready to be Saved
I got some fancy new custom-fit window covers for my Subaru, which live in the cargo box on top of my car when not in use.
Well, you can imagine my surprise when, while driving 75 mph on a Utah highway, I look in my rear view mirror and see the window covers fluttering in the wind.
Yes, my cargo box opened while I was driving, spewing the covers all over the highway.
I pulled over immediately and was lucky enough to (safely) recover all of them… except for one.
These things are expensive and in order to replace one I’d have to replace the whole set.
So, motivated by money, I got determined.
However, I looked and looked but couldn’t find it.
It was very windy, and cars were flying by, and it could have blown anywhere, but I told myself I wouldn’t stop searching until I found it.
I knew it had to be somewhere.
But after nearly an hour of searching on foot, my resolve was beginning to wane.
As a last ditch effort, I decided to get in my car to loop back around to retrace my steps. I knew it was a long shot, but I had to try.
Once headed back in the right direction, I was scanning the road, median and shoulder as I drove. And that’s when I noticed movement out of the corner of my eye.
It was my window cover!
The wind was so strong that it had plastered the window cover up against a pole in the median, where it clung for dear life.
Flapping in the wind like a flag. Like a lighthouse. Like a beacon.
As if it was ready to be saved.
It was probably just dumb luck, but it felt as sweet as divine intervention.
I soon got back in my car and continued on my way—happy as ever to have survived the rollercoaster ride.
All over a silly window cover.
“Never give up, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn.” ―Harriet Beecher Stowe
P.S. For those wondering, I examined my cargo box more closely and realized it was an error on my part. I bought the cargo box used and stupidly neglected to do any maintenance on the handle and locking mechanism before taking it on the road. A little bit of WD-40 got it working like a charm and I haven’t had an issue since.
