 Recently, I had one of those Mondays.
You know the type of Monday where everything that can go wrong does in an extremely short amount of time.
If I possessed a modicum of clairvoyance, I would have called it a day, stayed in bed and watched a series of my favorite classic movies.
My day began with the realization that there was a problem with my computer's host server, which meant my website was down and I had no access to my primary e-mail account. This alone caused sheer panic.
My imagination began running wild. What if I had won the Pulitzer Prize? The e-mail bounce back would have suggested I had no interest in accepting the prestigious award. Never mind that the Pulitzers were awarded in April and I was not under consideration.
Maybe MSNBC was attempting to reach me to replace Keith Olbermann at twice his reported annual salary. My hyperbolic sensations notwithstanding, it was not good to not have access to my primary e-mail.
I quickly regrouped; I was not about to allow a frustrating beginning to my Monday, with its associated stereotypes, stop me from having a productive day. I had personal errands that I had put off, and this would be an opportune time to take care of them. One of my appointments required that I take Interstate 880.
I would rather run over hot burning coals while sticking needles in my eye than drive on I-880. The unpredictable traffic, the trucks and bad roads, it is a legalized death trap in my opinion.
There are sections of the road that are so badly in need of repair, I have often driven on 880 wondering if I had a flat tire.
As fate (or a bad Monday) would dictate, I could not blame the rough ride on I-880; it was a blowout. The smell of burning rubber filled the air, and my rear tire looked like overcooked linguine.
I called my emergency road service and they assured me someone would be there to assist me within 30 minutes, so I had nothing to do but sit back and marinate in my disappointing day.
I wasn't overly frustrated; once my tire was changed, I had to buy a new one. By now, it was 11 a.m., and any expectations I had for this day to end on a positive note were long gone, or so I thought.
As I sat in my car waiting for road assistance, I was approached by Don Martin, owner of Best Canvas Awnings. Through happenstance, I was parked in front of his business.
"Are you OK?" he asked.
I told him I was fine and was just waiting to have my tire changed. Undeterred, Martin said, "If you want, I can have my guys change it, and you'll be on your way."
I said, "Sure."
That was about the time I had a feeling my road service was not going to arrive at the estimated time. I needed some good timing and Martin came through. So he had two of his employees come out and change my tire. I called the road service to cancel my claim, but this was only the beginning of this story.
As Martin's employees changed my tire, he offered me a cup of coffee, which I graciously accepted. I walked back to his office and noticed his garden. Gardening has become my latest passion, so Martin and I spent several minutes on the subject.
The conversation then switched to our shared passion of antique cars, auctions and which cars were among our favorites.
Sometime later we discovered a mutual interest in World War II. A veteran of the Army and Marines, Martin discussed his passion and admiration for those known as "The Greatest Generation." We even exchanged World War II books on the spot. You don't find someone every day who has so much in common with you.
I had finished my coffee and was now headed to my new destination to replace my mangled tire. Before I left, I asked Martin, "Why did you come out of your office when I was sitting there?"
He replied, "You look like you needed help."
Amen to that.
Perhaps there was a requirement that I begin my day in frustration to be reminded that, for all of society's negative aspects we hear and read about, there are people like Don Martin, those who are willing to help.
As I pulled away from Martin's establishment, I thought to myself, "It's just 12:30 p.m. ... and it was already a great day!"
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