A Funny Thing Happened...

May 12, 2008

A funny thing happened…..yesterday. I stranded myself at my own house!

Leaving my house for work as usual yesterday morning, and locking the front door behind me as usual, I got to the car and reached for my car key…and realized I didn’t have my purse with me! Now, every woman knows that her LIFE is in her purse. My purse contains not only my car key, but my house key and of course, my cell phone.

I couldn’t start my car. I couldn’t go back into my house. I couldn’t call anyone. I was stranded in my own front driveway.

My mind was churning over possible solutions to my dilemma. I could get in through the garage; I keep a garage door opener in my car! Oh yeah, the car’s locked. We’d had a theft in the neighborhood one night and since then, I’ve kept my car doors locked religiously.

The morning was quiet. Children had already boarded the schoolbuses to school; parents had already made their drive in to work. Although I live in a housing addition of 300 homes, I felt alone and helpless.

I scrambled to the back of my house and carefully pulled out a bedroom window screen in a hopeful attempt to crawl in through the window. Well, being the cautious citizen I am, I keep my windows locked too.

I was being thwarted by my own efforts! My next thought was to walk to the corner store and use a payphone to call – who? I needed to call Joe for help, but I also had to call my boss to confess my stupidity and tell him why I would be late for work. Who should I call first?

It didn’t matter. Since my purse was locked in the house, I didn’t even have any change for a phone call. Finally I was stumped. I just stood there in my driveway for a few minutes, hoping a solution would float down from the sky.

What a predicament! I’d have to see if a neighbor would let me use their phone. Like too many people today, I barely know my neighbors and felt awkward asking one for a favor. My neighbors to the right are an older couple with grown children, living alone. We’ve spoken briefly, once or twice. I knocked on their door; no answer. I crossed the street to the home of the young couple who have a sweet, friendly 7-year old daughter. From what I’ve observed I believe the dad is in the Army, the mom stays home, and the little girl of course is in school. The one interaction I’ve had with them was one afternoon a couple summers ago. I’d gone outside to mow the lawn, when I heard a child crying in distress. The little girl had fallen off her scooter and scraped her knee on the sidewalk. She was only a few feet from her own driveway, but the poor thing was scared to death. I carried her to her front door, handed her off to her mom, retrieved the scooter, and went on to mow my lawn.

Well, I got no answer there either, so I trotted across the yard to my neighbors to the left – a young family who had moved in merely months ago. All I know of them is that the husband drives an OG&E truck; I got no answer there either.

Either none of those neighbors were home, or they all thought I was some kind of solicitor and were ignoring me.

Now, mind you, I don’t know ONE of those neighbors’ names! I’m not anti-social, just very shy. I actually do know the name of the single guy who lives catty-corner from me – James. I met him while visiting my home as it was being built. He’s got a master’s in mechanical engineering, and has friends over each Friday evening. Oh, and attends Memorial Road Church of Christ. His car was in his driveway, signaling that he had not gone to work yet. No reason I couldn’t have gone over and asked to borrow his phone, but another neighbor had their garage door open, indicating that they were home.

For shame! Even after living in the addition for 5 years, I knew no more about my neighbors than a few brief, chance facts. I hated to bother anybody, but I was out of choices. I had gone to 4 neighbors’ houses before I found someone home. And the only reason this lady was only home because her 5-year old boy was sick.

I apologized profusely as I introduced myself and explained my situation. She was very freindly and graciously let me use her phone. First I called Joe. He works 30 minutes away, but has a house key and was able to take off work to come over and unlock the door. Then I called my boss, to tell him what a stupid thing I did and that I would be in just as soon as I could get my dilemma solved!

While I waited for Joe, I got to know Melinda and her son Calvin. Melinda works at a daycare and has an older daughter in second grade. Very obviously pregnant, she told me of her plans to quit work and stay home with the kids after the baby is born. Calvin is a sweet boy. We watched “Go Diego Go” and he told me all about Diego and the animals.

Soon Joe arrived, unlocked my door, and on to work I went. To this day, without fail, I take time to be SURE I have my purse when I walk out the door; and if I don’t, to NOT lock the door behind me! But I guess the real lesson here is, you can reach out and introduce yourself to your neighbors, or you can wait for trouble to force you into it. The former would have been much easier.