Do you ever have those days when you’ve got everything all planned out, then, without warning, something bad happens in the morning and all of a sudden your entire day seems to be in a shambles?
I had one of those days recently. I had a packed schedule but I was raring to go. I was out to conquer the world. But then, just as I was going out of the village, I heard a weird knocking sound. I got out of the car, and to my dismay, I had a flat tire!
“Dang!” I said to myself. “Just my luck!” It was such a hassle because I had a meeting at 8 a.m. and it was already 7:45 a.m. I had to call all the people I planned to meet that day because I was sure that this unexpected development would have a “domino” effect on all my meetings. I was pretty bummed out, to say the least. I thought I was on cruise control, and then, wham! A tiny nail comes from out of nowhere and literally punctures my day.
With the help of some overzealous “uzis” (kibitzers), I was able to replace my flat tire with the spare. However, as I didn’t want to risk going around town without a spare in my trunk, I decided to look for a vulcanizing shop. As I drove around searching for one, I grew worried about all my meetings for that day. I scrambled to call all those I was scheduled to meet, and I desperately tried to reshuffle my day. Needless to say, I was very upset because it took me a couple of months to set some of those meetings up. As I scrambled with my phone while driving (I know, I know, that’s not a good thing), I finally spotted a vulcanizing shop (at J. Rizal street in Makati). It was the old vulcanizing shop that I used to go to. It’s funny — after all these years, it hasn’t changed. It was the same old dilapidated, shabby little wooden shack that it was years ago. I told the “vulcanizer” about my problem and he went about his way, knowing exactly what to do.
When he got a hold of my tire, my focus was entirely on him and his every move because I knew my whole day depended on how fast he could fix my flat. I didn’t like to be there but I just had to suck it up. I had no choice. I had to go through this because I knew if I didn’t, the problem could get much bigger if I suffered another flat and I didn’t have a spare. As I observed the guy, I began to mull over my situation. Then, a sudden realization dawned on me — an important truth in life that I’ve always known but often forget. And the truth is this: (Bleep) happens.
I know what you’re saying: this universal truth has been there all along. And it’s true, it’s not like it’s the first time I’ve encountered something like this. I’m fully aware that sometimes, even the best-laid plans get screwed up by the simplest of things. But sometimes, I get so immersed in the chaos and whirlwind of everyday life that I tend to forget this important principle. I often think that for as long as I have everything planned out, I’ll be okay. But that’s not always the case. Plan or no plan, (bleep) happens.
And that’s just how it is. In life, you get your share of curve balls. You get your own quota of unpleasant surprises. And yes, all of us are subject to these challenges. There’s not one person in the world who’s exempted from this universal rule. We all get our share of road bumps and unexpected twists and turns. These life hassles can be as simple as having a major zit on your nose a couple of hours before you meet up with a hot date, or it could be as major as all your clients not being able to pay on time because of the recession and you having to face the prospect of facing your employees and suppliers and telling them you don’t have anything to pay them.
What makes us different from each other, however, is how we handle these sudden roadblocks. And in these situations there are two types of people: those who crumble under pressure … and those who thrive.
Some people (in fact, a lot of people) have a tendency to crack under the pressure. They throw a pity party and say, “Woe is me, I’m screwed. I will never be able to get out of this one.” These are the ones that close their eyes, turn away from the situation, pretend that it’s not there, do nothing but mope, and hope against hope that in due time, the problem will go away. Unfortunately, in life — as in business — it doesn’t happen that way. It’s not like your fairy godmother will come every time you’re down and provide you with a golden carriage and beautiful dress so you can go to the ball. Sure, sometimes you get lucky. Sometimes people win in the lotto or get bailed out by someone. But really, what are the chances? Almost nil. At the end of the day, the problem will always there. It’s like what author Robert Kiyosaki said in his book Increase Your Financial IQ: Problems are like toothaches. You can try to ignore it. You might even try to take painkillers. But at the end of the day, you haven’t solved the problem. The tooth decay or cavity will still be there. If you don’t go to the dentist to solve that problem, that problem will keep on coming back — and it will affect your entire life — your job, your family life — everything.
The bad news is, facing a problem head-on, focusing on it and working on a solution is not a pleasant thing. Sometimes you will have to face grumpy, angry people. Sometimes you have to make personal sacrifices. But the good news is this: the world rewards problem-solvers. If you can face problems and solve them, not only are you going to be in demand (since the world gives a premium to problem solvers), you will be a better and stronger person overall. You will have a better attitude, because as you solve problems, you will have more confidence to face life and all its headaches and heartaches. Why do you think doctors and lawyers are paid well? They solve problems, that’s why. That’s what they get paid to do. And people are willing to pay a good price for their services because usually, people don’t want to face the problems on their own.
In a way, vulcanizing a tire is the best metaphor for solving problems. In case you didn’t know, vulcanizing is more than just a patch-up job. Vulcanizing is actually a chemical reaction of sorts. It refers to a specific “curing process” of rubber involving high heat and the addition of sulfur or other equivalent curatives. It is a chemical process in which polymer molecules are linked to other polymer molecules by atomic bridges composed of sulfur atoms or carbon-to-carbon bonds. The end result is that the springy rubber molecules become cross-linked to a greater or lesser extent. This makes the bulk material harder, much more durable and also more resistant to chemical attack. It also makes the surface of the material smoother and prevents it from sticking to metal or plastic chemical catalysts.
The process, by the way, is named after Vulcan, the Roman god of fire. Very appropriate, don’t you think?
A vast array of products is made with vulcanized rubber, includ-ing ice hockey pucks, tires, shoe soles, hoses and many more. Hard, vulcanized rubber is known as ebonite or vulcanite and is used to make bowling balls and clarinet mouthpieces.
Whenever unexpected problems arise, it’s like having a flat tire. Some people just let it be and continue running on the flat. In the end, you don’t solve the problem. The flat is there and you’ll end up with a ruined tire and maybe a ruined car. So the more you continue running on a flat, the less chances you have of reaching your destination.
When you have a flat, deal with it. Have it vulcanized. And when you have problem, same thing — have it vulcanized. Remember, bowling balls are made of vulcanized rubber. So in a way, solving problems can make you as tough as a bowling ball. And once you’re a bowling ball, you can wipe out any pin that comes your way.
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Thanks for your letters, folks! You may e-mail me at rodhnepo@yahoo.com.