I’m really lazy about some things. Lazy to a fault. When something around me breaks or shows signs of wear, I often ignore it, knowing full well that it’s likely to cause even more trouble in the future.
Trouble is, I never learn my lesson because sometimes the strategy (laziness) actually pays off.
Example1:
Several months ago, a rattling/clicking sound came from the gear-shifter-box-area-thing every time I started my car. I found that I could stop the noise simply by applying the brake when in park, so I did that for months.
One day, the noise just stopped and hasn’t returned. My car healed itself!
Example2:
On our Maui vacation a few years back, I took a rental car — a compact sedan — off-roading. We were following a guide book which mentioned an off-the-beaten-path area accessible by a dirt road. The book said to ignore the warning sign at the head of the “road,” and I did so. That was a big mistake.
Recent rains turned the road into an absolute nightmare, and I still don’t know how we got in and out without a tow-truck. But the car didn’t come out unscathed. A rock jammed up in the axel somewhere, and we drove around for days with a terrible screeching and grinding. Karen finally convinced me to bring it back to the rental shop, and as we were on our way, we heard a crumbling and the falling away of the obsrtruction. The noise went away, and we kept the car for the rest of the trip with no one the wiser.
The beauty of Poli Poli park on the side of Haleakala was totally worth the terrifying drive.
Example3:
The battery charger for my camera stopped working. Just wouldn’t charge. I actually took the effort to look for a new charger, but they were so expensive that I said, “screw it.” (Did I mention I’m cheap too?) A while later, I tried the charger again out of frustration, and it now works!
All this being said, I do believe in the concept of jinxing, so I have a very bad feeling that I’m screwing myself over by even mentioning this philosophy of ignoring. After I click “post,” I fear my car may fall apart, I’ll receive a long-overdue call from the Maui rental company, and my camera will explode due to improperly charged batteries.
In the meantime, I’ll enjoy my self-healing consumer items.