Sometimes life delivers a perfect storm of disasters that are so bad they’re funny. It’s almost like the Universe is doing a koochie-koo to get us to take ourselves less seriously.
My latest comedy of errors was no tragedy in the greater scheme of things.
My husband and I were staying at a nice Bed and Breakfast, mostly in recovery after an intense week of travel and moving our daughter into her new college dormitory; looking forward to spending a week of rest and relaxation in the Colorado Rockies.
On the first day of this much-anticipated vacation, my beloved digital camera (with all the photos of our trip so far) went poof. Vanished in the chaos of the week.
After searching everywhere it occurred to me that I might have left the camera on top of the car. On foot patrol to retrace our drive the next day, I must have looked like a crazy woman scanning sidewalks and gutters of a busy street – quickly, so as not to get hit by cars…and a big rain storm that was coming my way.
Then it happend – a one-two punch: a twisted ankle, and a torrential downpour of monsoon proportions, in that order.
Soaking wet, I hobbled back to the car, and my waiting husband, who himself was ailing from a bad cold. Without missing a beat he says: “I’m just so glad we have a mountain view because that is just about as close the mountains as we’re going to get.”
What else is there to do but laugh at the absurdity of our situation…
And let go.
Shortly after the camera debacle, my sister happend to post this message on Facebook. Another koochie-koo from the big U:
Tragedy + Time = Comedy
What a delicious punch line! That would be a good thing to post above the computer for when it crashes (it’s only a year old, it’s a good computer, it will never crash, right 🙂 )
Kye
We’re a year behind you on this sending your child to college journey. Our second child goes to college a year from now.
I lost a beloved camera, too, on a college hunting trip with him this summer. More than being sorry to lose the camera, it was hard to accept that someone else had the photos from the important milestone trip. (My son’s reaction? “You’re lucky you lost the camera! The new one is lots better!” I appreciated his perspective).
When we moved our daughter to college about 7 years ago, I had a minor car accident (slight scratches only) when the car was finally unloaded, and we were making our last errand trips before driving home. On our first trip for three with our son soon after, the car’s transmission went out. I figured it was a metaphor…for something.
Strange the way it goes. Your husband’s right, you’re right, I know: Accept. Let go.
Your sister’s Facebook find is, too. With time, a lot of then-adventures become quite funny.
I hope your ankle healing goes well, as does the transition.
Here’s a recent post I wrote about the beginning of this last year with our son at home, “The first of many lasts,” http://budurl.com/jk9d
Thanks for your work here. I’ll follow your journey.