I used to be scared of getting the oil changed in my car.
After all, isn’t Jiffy Lube the dominion of all things male?
It used to freak me out. It smells like “car” and looks like man-world. The magazines spread out on the table in the waiting room are not woman-friendly: Golf, Sports Illustrated, Motor Trend and ESPN.
It’s just not a girl place.
And I never wanted to go there. I’d really never been there so I didn’t really know, but I just knew I didn’t want to emerge smelling like old engine grease and wiper fluid.
I made excuses. I asked my husband to switch cars with me on the day that we needed to take my car in. I claimed I didn’t know where the Jiffy Lube was and that I couldn’t speak car-language. (I know NOW that the only difference between normal and synthetic oil is about THIRTY DOLLARS). What if they asked me a question I couldn’t answer? Air filters? Fluids? Tire pressure?
So for years, Chad took the car in for me. Without whining or complaining. Just because he loved me.
Until a few years ago and I offered to take that errand off his hands.
So I jumped into the oil-smelling, bad-coffee brewing man-world of the oil change station every 5000 miles.
It wasn’t because Chad got tired of it or that suddenly the oil place installed spa chairs and burned aromatherapy candles.
No. It was because I didn’t want to be afraid anymore. I didn’t want to be limited by my silly fear of man-world.
I didn’t want my distant perception of something I’d never experienced to color my thinking and then affect my actions.
So I went to get my oil changed. And it wasn’t that bad.
Sure it smelled like oil and there was a strange gray residue on the chairs in the waiting room, but no strange men hung out in there leering at me. No weird anything at all. And they didn’t speak car-language, at least not in my presence. (and for the record I chose normal – not synthetic – oil because who can seriously afford 70 dollars worth of OIL?)
And now I’ve been going for a few years now. I roll up with my three-year-old, get her out of the car, tell them NOT to give me a new air filter and go to the waiting room. I don’t pay attention to the magazines (NFL Fantasy anyone?). When they are done, I sign for my car, grab my keys and go home.
Easy. No big deal.
And silly that I was wasting time being scared of something I knew nothing about.
It’s like jumping into a cold lake.
Or writing my story on my blog.
It’s like making THE phone call to the person I hurt I don’t want to make.
Or letting what I’ve heard about someone affect what I know about them…
I’m not going to let my perceptions of something I really haven’t experienced myself affect my actions. I can’t.
So brace yourself. Get the oil changed or tell your story. Jump into the lake or make that phone call. You might leave smelling a little like car exhaust and oil, but you’ll be better for it. You’ll be stronger because you’ve gotten over the fear.
Great analogy and encouragement!
smooches,
Larie
Darn. Does this *really* mean I have to go to Firestone now?
as I have gotten older….there’s not much that I can’t do or that scares me to do….and I love that…age and wisdom can be soooo good for a person !
And isn’t it amazing how STRONG and powerful you feel after facing your fear??!! Facing fear is the best way to eliminate it (I’m sure I read that somewhere; there’s NO way I just thought it up!)
Excellent post!
I seem to be on a major learning curve on facing fears. This post fit well (almost too well, now I have to let go of some excuses that were working for me) into my education.
What helps is the fact that I’m realizing how some fears have kept me from doing certain things … uhg!
Thanks!
Good for you!!
I hated taking my car as well until the one time they were supposed to rotate my tires as well.
A man the size of the Empire State Building told me that the tire was stuck. All the guys had tried to get the lug nuts off and failed. After a battle, they finally freed the tires and rotated them. ProbleM? They were so busy with the tire that they forgot to put oil back into my car!!!!!
Long story short: I got a new engine and got to use a rental car for a month….
I don’t mind it so much anymore.
Thanks for the “do it scared” and find out soft push. Love it!
HOLLA!!!!
uhm… yeah… that’s all i had to say.
oh… and I LOVE YOU! (I actually just yelled that out loud.)
It’s so true! We leave smelling like burnt oil, but our hearts are glowing, because we have been made beautiful in our obedience!
Thanks for sharing Sarah!
true that.
Too funny. The description of Jiffy Lube put me there. Doesn’t it seem like they never wash their hands? I almost don’t want to take back my car keys from them! LOL! Yikes. Great post, Sarah!!
i was at “express lube” just today.
in fact, i almost tweeted “that was the fastest oil change ever.” but i figured that would just be an embarrassing worst “that’s what she said” moment…
[...] week we’ll be discussing Oil Change by Sarah Markley @ http://www.sarahmarkley.com. by Colleen [...]
Sarah, I’m glad you overcame your fear. I personally have never experienced this particular fear, in fact, I begged to be allowed to bring my car in for an oil change after doging the flying tools whenever my husband changed the oil himself. One person’s fear is another’s escape.
Great Post. I stopped by via Deep Breath Ministries and Colleen’s C-Notes post about your blog. It’s a great analogy. I have a magnet on my refrigerator that says “Do One Thing That Scares You Everyday.” I try.
I used to work at an auto parts store so I am not afraid to enter the man world of automobiles. My daddy made sure I was well equipped for that ride. I negotiate all car deals and usually have to be my husband’s cheerleader when it comes to shade-tree mechanican(is that a word?)
Oh well… I’m glad I stopped by. I’ll be back to read your story soon! Blessings
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