The Advantages of Getting Older (And Being a Former Struggling Single Mom)

So after the snow turned to a wintry mix on Sunday, our parking lot is still largely frozen with snowy ice clumps.

Our new apartment complex has garages available, so Mark and I opted for one - so at least Mark didn't have to chip ice and shovel out, but it was still tricky navigating the parking lot.

However, some people did not op for a garage, and this young couple was trying to get out to get to class today, and I realized their mistake trying to back out, spinning their wheels. 

The girl was talking on her cell phone on speaker to someone, who I think was her sister, asking what to do because she had to go to class, but her sister had to go to a meeting. 

So I hollered ... 

Me: "Hey, Guys, Good Morning! I have some cardboard boxes from where we just moved, do you need some? You can put them behind the tires." 

 

Young Couple: "We have some behind the front wheels, but nothing." 

 

Me: "Yep, but it's your back wheels that are spinning, trying to back out, up and over the ice, out of the pocket. What if you tried putting the cardboard behind the back wheels, too, far enough to get up and over the ice? We just moved so we have a ton of broken down boxes, if you need?"

So they did so and voila, out in 5 seconds!

They gave me a little excited thank you wave, I smiled and winked, gave a little thumbs up and clap, and off to class they went. 😊

We older adults often think it's common sense, forgetting that we, too, learned from experience ourselves long ago, if someone didn't tell us first.

So young ones - or people who aren't used to snow - snow tires help, but won't get you out entirely. So if you don't also have chains to put on your tires (few do here, and they help more with deep snow than ice anyway) - then the next best thing to use is sand, but who has that lying around?

So try cardboard behind all 4 tires, or at least behind or in front of whichever tires are the issue, depending on whether you're going backward or forward.

(This also works for mud, btw.)

Now, if your car actually breaks down or something, I can't help you 😊 (Well, I can maybe tell you what's wrong, at least, based on sound, but only certain things - but I can't fix it).

Things you learn as you go, especially if you had no one else around to help.

Resourcefulness ... something aging, former struggling single moms have in spades.