Do you know that annoying pressure tire sensor on your car? It looks like a harp with an exclamation point in the middle. The one that tells you your tire pres
sure might be low. Do you run right out to get it checked? Or ignore it? Mine was too sensitive, going off all the time, for no real reason, too hot or too cold.
I am now so grateful for that annoying sensor.
I was heading home on 93 North in New Hampshire at about 8 o’clock last night. I was a little tired after a full day of playing grandma to 1- and 3-year-old boys. Then I heard something hit under my car, a loud ping. A few minutes later, the tire pressure sensor went on. Nothing seemed wrong. In an abundance of caution, I’m the type of person who always checks when that light comes on; I left the high-speed lane. I continued diving in the lowest speed lane and drove the speed limit. About 10 minutes later, something felt wrong, so I considered getting off at an exit. I only had fifteen more miles to get to my home exit, so I continued, going slower and slower.
I got off at my exit and went even slower, making sure I knew where my emergency blinkers were, and stayed on the far-right side of the road in case I had to pull over. At this point, one person beeped at me because I was too slow. Side note: You never know someone else’s story, so please stop tailgating and beeping at someone who is going slow.
It happened a mile away from my house. The tire blew out and went completely flat. I was on an isolated, dark road with no streetlights or homes. Stranded on the side of the road in the dark, I could only think about how grateful my tire didn’t blow out on the highway going too many MPH over the speed limit. I was grateful for the tire sensor warning me. Then, many other things I’m grateful for popped into my head. My husband remembered to renew and pay AAA. I safely got over to the side of the road for the two different strangers who offered to help me. Toyota for having sensors, my family, who offered my moral support, and Vince, the triple guy who arrived in record time. I was stressed, anxious, and grateful for the tire sensor.
The next day, the repair shop determined that my tire sensor had broken during the ordeal. I was offered the choice of having the sensor not fixed or fixed. Now grateful for the sensor and seeing its purpose, I paid the extra and got it fixed. If I had been offered that choice a week ago, I would have been happy to have the previously annoying sensor permanently disabled. Gratitude for the sensor changed my choice, even though I’m sure I’ll still find it annoying sometimes.
File this under weird things I’m grateful for and that I am annoyed with. The story’s moral is that the annoying sensor could have saved my life.
This story illustrates the gratitude challenge of discernment. I could be both annoyed and grateful for the tire sensor. Many grateful leaders are stuck because they see gratitude as an all-or-nothing proposition. Gratitude is inclusive; it’s an and.
Here’s a challenge to try: Identify a person you are annoyed with and find at least one thing you can be grateful for about that annoying person. If you look hard enough, you can find it. If you have trouble, contact me. I’m happy to help you discover gratitude.
Questions:
- What weird thing are you grateful for?
- Who (no names) or what annoys you, and what can you be grateful for about them?
My answers: 1. Tire air pressure sensors, 2. I’m grateful they care enough to speak up, even though I don’t like what they say.
