By Amanda Permann
A while ago, our GMC Suburban began acting up. Although we knew something was wrong, we hadn’t had it checked. One day, my daughter forgot her backpack at home, and I needed to make a quick 3-4 minute trip to deliver it to her at school, with my other daughter in tow.
As we left our driveway, the car made an unusual noise. I decided to mention it to my husband when I got back home because I only had a 3-4 minute drive to the school. On the highway, as we approached a small hill, the Suburban’s gas pedal suddenly stopped working. Despite the engine running and the vehicle in drive, pressing the gas pedal had no effect. I quickly realized this was a serious issue.
My momentum dwindled as I climbed the hill. I thought, “I need to get as far off the road as possible to avoid an accident.” My speed reduced rapidly, and although I managed to steer the car off the road, the back end remained partially on it because we had lost all momentum.
I tried shifting into reverse, but that didn’t work. Shifting into neutral allowed us to roll backward slowly, so I could maneuver the car to a safer position, mostly off the road, and then put it in park. We ended up halfway up the hill, which was a tricky spot for passing traffic. Thankfully, the area wasn’t very busy.
As my daughter grew worried, her imagination came up with scary situations. I felt tense too, but I focused on staying calm. I told her, “It is what it is, and we’ll be okay. Help is on the way.” We prayed for safety, help, and guidance. I then had a couple people come to mind who could assist us:
- Our Uncle: He was out of town working with cattle and wouldn’t be back for 20-30 minutes.
- My Brother-in-Law: He worked nearby and although I didn’t want to interrupt his work, the urgency of our situation led me to call him. Thankfully, he was available and willing to help.
While we waited, I chose to focus on the relative positives with gratitude:
- Perspective on Emergency: The issue wasn’t a major emergency like a fire or wreck; we had a controlled slowdown and managed to pull off the road safely.
- Traffic Conditions: It was a slow time of day with light traffic, reducing the risk of an accident.
- Self-Reliance: We could steer the car off the road ourselves, and being on a hill helped with that.
- Cell Phone: I had a fully charged cell phone.
- Weather: The day was warm and sunny, with no rain or cold winds.
- Support Network: The people we called were ready and able to help, and help was on the way quickly.
- Distance for Towing: We only needed to be towed a short distance to my in-laws’ place.
- Additional Help: When my brother-in-law arrived, a neighbor friend stopped to help with towing, so I didn’t have to get out of the car.
Instead of letting worry or frustration take over, I made a conscious choice to stay calm and focus on the positives. By focusing on the relative advantages of the situation and trusting that we would receive the help we needed, I managed to keep a positive outlook and navigate the situation effectively.
This experience taught me that our perspective on events can change depending on the situation. By realizing that the importance of a problem, the support available, and the time of day all influence our feelings, I was able to handle the breakdown calmly and effectively.
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