Medium Sized Town Life

You know what happened to me today? I got a phone call in the middle of the day from the mechanic. We had a appointment to get the car fixed tomorrow morning. I was planning the next few days around this, because they boys and I are going to Winnipeg for a week, and I have to get everything ready. The mechanic phones me and says, "So, the part for your car are in." I responded, "Great." Then he says, "Well, can you bring your car down right now? I've got some free time, and I'm kind of busy tomorrow, and you said you need the car fixed by the weekend." What I was thinking was, "WHAT?" But what I said was, "Let me see if I can find a way to get back home." He says, "Oh, well just drive the car down and get someone to drive you back." Yeah, because I have so many friends and relations who can just drop everything and pick me up at the mechanic's at the drop of a hat. I said, "Well, I have two kids I have to bring, too. Can you give me half an hour?" "Yeah, I guess." he says. So the boys and I had a surprise walk to get slurpees and go to the park this afternoon, after I figured out how to pack Andrew's bike and the stroller into the car and packed my happily playing children away in the car. On the bright side, I did avoid folding the basket full of socks I had waiting for me at home for a few more hours . . .

I tell you, sometimes this city reminds me so much of Stephen Leacock's fictional town, Mariposa. I have come to know and love his book "Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town", a satire about a typical rural Canadian town. When discussing the business of the town, he says, "Busy -- well, I should think so! Ask any of its inhabitants if Mariposa isn't a busy, hustling, thriving town. Ask Mullins, the manager of the Exchange Bank, who comes hustling over to his office . . .every day at 10:30 and has scarecely time all morning to go out and take a drink with the manager of the Commercial."