Re-frame of the NOISY FAN BELT

There’s a man in our street living just a couple of doors up from our house who has a car. Nothing unusual about that except that this man and his car have been ‘fascinating’ me for some time now. Why? Because his car has a loose noisy fan belt and the fact that he has been putting up with sitting inside the squealing machine for half a year now clearly indicates to me that he must have the highest threshold for tolerance of anyone I’ve ever come across.

It was in December last year that I first heard the hideous screeching of this expired fan belt, like chalk on a blackboard, but a thousand times worse, as if the chalk were the raw nerve of a small child being dragged across tarmac. Every weekday morning for the past six months at approximately 7.40am this painful, excruciating sound of destruction moves slowly past my house. As it did again this morning.

I’ve gone through a range of  reactions – anger, intolerance, irritation, extreme cringing, more anger, dis-belief, accusations of disregard for others and even, I’m not proud to admit, a fantasy about the level III filthy look I’d give if I actually made eye contact as my neighbour passed by in his machine from hell.

Then something changed. No, he didn’t get it fixed. (This man has nerves of steel!)

It was Monday morning and as I was going about my peaceful, tranquil business (brushing my teeth) and I heard it AGAIN. I was just about to get into another round of ‘that is so annoying’ but then I realised that it must be around 7.40am and that meant I was a little behind schedule. I needed to get a move on. Had the squeal machine actually helped me??

Surely not. No. That thing brings nothing but misery.

Ah, but what else could it be, what else could I make hearing that sound  mean? I started to wonder and smile…

The fact that I hear that un-Godly sound every morning means that I have once again had the privilege to wake up in a country where people have cars (and mechanics), I am listening to this overstretched fan belt from the comfort of my beautiful home, I have all of my basic needs met and many luxuries too, I have the love of treasured relationships and the most beautiful canine companion on earth, in fact too many blessings to count. That’s what that ridiculous noise means to me now.

It’s been five days now, the operatic fan belt is still ‘belting’ it out and I’m still smiling.

Here I am, delighted to be alive, grateful for everything I’ve got, and eternally optimistic about anything I can give.

Yes. I’ve said it many times and I’ll say it again. Life is fascinating.