I got up extra early on Tuesday morning in order to get to school and knock out some work that had magically collected . As I drove along, watching out for the fools in the morning traffic, I listened to the latest details of the attack during the Boston Marathon. The reporter had just read a description about the bomb when I ran over something that made a loud metallic scraping. Since I was in the left lane, I put my hazard lights on and entered the turning lane. I saw the that the driver’s back tire had a flat.
I didn’t inspect any further, but instead I popped the hatchback and started digging out the spare tire along with the tools to change the flat. As I was bent over, I heard a car pull up behind me. Without even turning around, I knew that the cavalry had arrived to help me change the flat. The guy, Carlos, took off the hubcap and reminded me that I needed to get the bolt key in order to remove the tire. He then asked me had I seen what had caused my flat. I told him no.
I could not believe my eyes. The scrap metal, which was more than likely from a recent car accident, looked just like an ax sticking out of my tire. This after hearing about the bomb and shrapnel from the Boston Marathon attack. As Carlos continued to change the tire, I texted my boss to let her know what had happened. Then it dawned on me…I’d still be on time for work! So much for coming in early.
After changing my tire, Carlos asked me if I was a personal trainer. I told him that I was a HS Physics teacher, but I did train capoeira. I handed him one of my Tribe of One T-shirts as a thank you gesture for helping me change the tire. He accepted the T-shirt and said that it was his pleasure to help me out. He also added that the black and brown don’t mess around, meaning that we have to do whatever we can in order to get ahead in this world.
As I drove away, I thought about his question about me being a personal trainer. I was wearing capri pants at the time and so I imagined the visual of me bent over getting out the spare. Once again, having a well-toned “Brazilian butt” pays off!