I don't meditate as much as I used to when I was a college student. A working professional life limits me to weekends. When I do make the time, I sometimes use "shinmenmoku" as a mantra. It's a nice break from chanting the common Sanskrit phrases Om ma ni pad mi hum or Gate gate paragate parasamgate ("Hail to one's Overself" and "Gone, gone, gone far beyond," respectively).
Greek mythology is resplendid with examples of how hubris (over confidence or too much pride) in hero figures are humbled by the gods through loss or tragedy. So, it's often said that the only cure for hubris is nemesis (downfall or punishment).
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A week ago, my pick up truck needed a new water pump. It had been seriously leaking anti-freeze everywhere I parked. For the past couple of years, I've been taking my vehicles to service stations for repairs. But lately, money has been tight. So, I decided I'd tackle this job myself. I knew from past experience, the local shops would charge me around $450 (that's the pump, gasket, sealant, coolant, new fan belt, toxic waste fee, and labor). I've changed my own water pumps in the past, and I knew I could do it.
I took two days off of work because I knew that by the time I bought all the parts and supplies, half the day would be over (after inserting a good lunch at my favorite diner). The other half would be taken up with draining the radiator, removing the pump, and scraping off the old gasket. The next morning, I slapped the pump on, waited two hours for the sealant to cure, filled the radiator, installed a new fan belt, ran the engine with the rad cap off to bleed out any air bubbles in the cooling system, test drove it and was done. No more leaks!
That night, I bragged to my dojo mates that I saved a ton of money and I did the work myself. I was patting myself on the back a bit too much. I was being really smug about it. The next morning, on my way to work, I heard something bouncing underneath my truck as I crossed an overpass. I thought, I hope the fan belt didn't snap. When I parked at work, I opened the hood and found that the fan belt was still in place.
Later that day, going out for lunch, I discovered I had a flat tire. The object that was bouncing around underneath my truck was a padlock that had fallen off of a trailer, perhaps. It still had the keys in it. The lock had fallen away, but one of the keys had cut a one inch gash into the tread. I jacked the truck up to remove the wheel and discovered that my factory lug wrench wouldn't fit the aftermarket wheel lock for the new rims I had bought awhile back. I went to the maintenance shop of the warehouse where the mechanics there work on forklifts. So I knew they've got plenty of sockets that would fit my application.
I slapped on the spare and took the flat to my local wheel and tire shop, where I had bought all four wheels and tires new. I'm glad I bought the "no questions asked" guarantee and got my tire replaced for free. I cut my hand on the padlock key that was still stuck in the tire when I unloaded it. And, by now, my lunch hour was over and I had to get back to the office.
Next time I fix my car, I'm keeping my mouth shut. I should have been content with the good feeling that I wasn't polluting the environment (as much) with anti-freeze leaking out like a waterfall anymore. Lesson learned...practicing what I preach. Shin...Men...Moku.
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