I met a woman yesterday who is in our country, can’t speak our language fully, has three kids (that I saw) and she was selling a car and she can’t even drive.
Smiling, with papers in hand, trying to explain with little words and lots of nods, about this ‘thing’ she was left to sell for her husband. It was left to her to do, since he had left this country already and was back in their home country.
She didn’t appear to be frightened, worried, or frustrated, just smiling and gesturing the best she could about how nice a car it was, how comfortable it was, how she no longer needs it.
She was watching my mechanic husband look under the hood, under the car, start it up, shut it off, he had the car turned inside out and backwards in a few minutes.
She is talking to him and he is not hearing her, her words lost to his limited hearing. I chuckled at the two of them, one can’t hear and the other can’t talk.
I speak louder to her and him, she smiles, he continues to learn about this car, and I learn about her.
Her courage just to be in this country, but to be left here so vulnerable, it seemed, doing what has to be done for her family, humbled me.
When I asked how long it would be before she gets to go home, she smiles and says, “One year January!”
After some discussion, she has over a year to go, but made it seem like just a short while.
What she takes in stride some would find very impossible to do, and would not even consider it.
I have no idea where she came from or where it is she will return, but to be staying for over a year with kids, no car, learning a new language, showed an inner strength that I admired.
There is another woman, this one I only heard about, she lives in this country, speaks our language, has a car, and an opportunity to learn a new mail route, but the ‘big office’ scared her, so she declined.
The difference between the two is startling.
I have no true idea of what is really going on in the lives of these two women, for I have not walked but one step in their shoes, but I have to admire the car saleslady and her willingness to be in the game.
It seems we can get stuck in the pattern of No, yet once you say yes and arrive, you then are walking forward learning, growing and offering opportunities to yourself and family if you can only utter, ‘yes.’
Due to a frightened lady’s “No,” I will be learning yet another route. This one is a unique route and has only 20 miles with lots of businesses.
This is a ‘city’ route, with lots of small streets and alley’s with the box on one street and the house location on another, with apartments and senior citizens buildings, lots of in and out of the car, almost like a walking route!
I will be delivering to a Prison and limbs to a business that makes artificial legs and arms, going in a Casino to pick up mail, a marina, a state park, the DNR, to name a few!
What interesting things will I learn and be exposed to, what opportunities will this extra route offer me, and my family?
Maybe those of us who continue to say “Yes” are almost incapable to saying no, I just never seem to have a good enough reason not to try.
The car saleslady will be an inspiration to me as I forge once again into learning another route.
What power I have compared to her, what resources, what connections, what unlimited support I have, this is all a piece of cake, compared to her.
And who knows, she may be tickled pink with herself for successfully making a sale, for rising up to the challenge.
She just added a tool in her toolbox, ‘used car saleslady’ one more thing that she can do successfully.
We truly are unlimited in what it is we can do, but first you have to be willing to try, willing to fail, willing to be uncomfortable in a place of unknowing in order to know.
I loved her authentic unknowing and her delight when we said we would take it.
She sold me my next mail car.
I hope her spirit comes with the car!
We truly never ride alone!
I M Perfect lady 