Every Car in the Lot Has Damage

My beloved Honda Element has many imperfections and the vast majority is due to its owner and primary driver. The Element has countless scratches on it because of the clumsy nature in which I get my wheelchair in and out of the car and several slips of the hand while I have the key in my hand resulting in me accidentally keying my own car. It also has some damage from a small accident I had in November.

I discovered a new blemish on Saturday when I realized there is a tear in my upholstery of the driver’s seat. By the size and shape my best guess is that the footplate on my wheelchair ate a chunk of the upholstery.

I think it is a natural reaction to be frustrated and slightly angry with myself for all the unintended damage I do to one of my most important and prized possessions. However I noticed something yesterday when I drove out of the parking lot. The big black truck that was parked right next to me had worse damage on its doors and bumper than anything I had on my car. As I drove further down the parking lot I realized the small tan car a few spots away looked like it had been in an accident too. It looked like there was a lot of paint missing and it had some damage as well.

People are just like cars, we all have our imperfections. It is natural for us to recognize our own imperfections most easily because we drive around with them everyday, but it is important to recognize the damage that exists from all angles.

Something that I find beautifully liberating is the fact that no one is perfect. Even if someone has the prettiest face or the perfect body, we have no idea what is going on inside of them. I feel this is why it is paramount to be kind to everyone. Your random nice words could be exactly what the inner mechanic needs and you might never know that was the catalyst for the repair.

On the reverse side have the courage to go up to the person that looks a little mentally slow, the person who has a constant frown on their face or even someone who is crying because you never know when a few simple words could start the ignition down a better road. If you try to go on a test drive of a damaged car and it just won’t start, move on and realize that the problem is with them and not with you. You will get rewarded for your attempt with future incentives that might not be easy to see in the three-dimensional world.

I am still trying to learn more about damage everyday. I have it far from figured out, but I humbly submit this for your consideration. I think it is important to accept the fact that everyone of us has damage, but only in the sense that we know where to tell the repairman where there is a hole in the upholstery. How will we ever know what to fix unless we see it first? The positive thoughts of God and the universe can repair anything! Most things we really care about are not quick repairs, but if we all keep faith the key scratches will get smoothed away one by one.

Even though I momentarily get mad at myself for the damage I cause my beloved Element, at the end of the day I am thankful for the journeys it takes me on and the blue book values of others will never be a concern.

Thanks for reading
Chris