I got a notice in the mail the other day that it was time to service my car. When I called the garage, the office manager asked, “Are you calling to schedule routine service or major maintenance?” “I have no idea,” I replied. After looking up my records, she confirmed, “Looks like your car has reached the age where it’s time for major maintenance.”
Two weeks later, I was scheduling a doctor’s appointment. Well, dream symbologists do say that your car represents yourself, so I guess that makes sense. This has certainly been my year for “major maintenance;” this was my fourth trip to the doctor this year. For a healthy, vibrant person, that’s a lot of time in the shop. Actually, I’m quite happy if my car represents me. I’ve had my Outback for 13 years, and these are the first major replacement parts she’s needed. If you look real close, you can see small scratches and dings, but otherwise, my baby still looks almost new.
In many ways, our bodies are indeed like a car. We need to keep them well oiled, make sure there’s enough fuel and water, and give ‘em a rest when they’re overheated. We can do minor maintenance and check under the hood when something’s not quite right, but when it starts smoking or the “check engine” light goes on, for most of us, we should take it to a specialist (whatever type of specialist you trust).
Too bad that when we go in for a medical procedure, we can’t just drop our bodies off, then come back and get them when it’s finished. Wouldn’t it be great to just hop out of our bodies during a dentist appointment or a gyno exam, go get a coffee, then jump back in when it was all over? Frankly, with some medical procedures, I’d prefer not to be there.
If there’s one thing I‘ve learned this past year, it’s that instead of freaking out when my body starts to break down, I need to just view it the same way as I do getting my car serviced. For one, I’ve learned not to wait until I barely limp over to the side of the road before I get things checked out. Secondly, I’ve decided that routine servicing isn’t such a bad idea. It can’t hurt to change the oil, and who knows, it might be time for major maintenance…
© 2010 by Laurie Gardner
