The Kia to My Success

My step-daughter owns a Kia and, on occasion, I am called upon to step into the role of mechanic and fix something. The common misconception about me when it comes to cars is that I don’t have a clue what I am doing most of the time. If it wasn’t for YouTube—and the fact that I deal with several actual mechanics in my day job—I wouldn’t have a clue what I was doing.

Recently, I was called upon to change a starter on the Kia. If I had been asked to take a potato chip in each hand, hold my arms out to my side, and flap until I started to fly, my look would have been exactly the same. Sure I will. After researching the problem, I was ready to give it a try. ( How is that for confidence?) Removing the old starter wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be despite breaking a bolt. If it came off easy, then it should go on just as easy. Logical thinking, but it was in no way accurate. Between lying on concrete that seemed to be getting colder by the minute and the sun dropping lower in the sky taking all of my work light with it, things were quickly turning against me. Finally, I had no choice but to call it quits for the evening.

We have an expression that states what a difference a day makes, and that is the truth. The next day, everything seemed to just fall into place. It didn’t seem like the new starter was going to go on, at first, but when I changed positions, I got a fresh perspective. I saw what I needed to do and the job was soon completed.

There are times when I am writing when it feels like the concrete is getting cold and the light is failing, and I can’t seem to figure out what comes next. I have learned that by walking away and letting my story (or blog) set for a while, when I look at it with a fresh perspective, things seem to fall into place. If things aren’t going as planned, you are allowed to step back and take a breather. Your characters will thank you in the long run.

Just thought I would jot this down.