Stuck! A metaphor for mud and snow
Have you ever gotten stuck? Have you ever been in a routine that you couldn’t easily break out of? Did you ever feel like the harder you tried, the more you turned your wheels and the more you sank? A friend of mine literally found herself in this situation once. As I was backing up my steep driveway in a snowstorm (ironically on the first official day of spring), her car slid and got stuck in my yard. From your story, I hope you find strategies to apply as you go through difficult situations in your own life.
ASSESS THE SITUATION
His car was in a difficult situation. There was a small rock to the right of the car, a boxwood bush to its left, and our mailbox was half a meter behind it. To make matters worse, his front tires were so deep in the snow that the nose of his car was level with the driveway and the ground. The only way out seemed to be to reverse course, climb the incline to return to the driveway.
ASK FOR HELP
It must have been fifteen or twenty minutes between the moment I said goodbye to my friend and the moment I realized I was stuck. It was my previous son’s bedtime, so it wasn’t until after reading and tucking them in that I looked out a window and saw lights in my yard. My friend had been doing it alone the entire time, trying to move forward, but had only gotten stuck deeper in snow and dirt. Realizing their plight, I immediately put on my coat and boots and went out to help.
Look what he has for you
We had a few tools at our disposal: shovels, some sand, a blanket for traction, and people I could gather to push if necessary. As we both had some experience with cars in the snow, we decided to go first with what we knew best.
CLEAR THE ROAD
The snow was squeezed between his front tires and the rim of the car, so we dug it up first to free his wheels. We also clear the snow in front of and behind your tires.
USE AN INCREMENTAL APPROACH
Our initial attempt was to spread sand in front of the tires, hoping that would give the tires something to hold onto, so it could slowly make its way back to the driveway.
BE WILLING TO ABANDON THE PLANS
When shoveling and sanding made no difference, we knew we had to take another direction. My husband had just finished a business call, so I asked for his help and suggestions.
EXPLORE DIFFERENT OPTIONS
Rather than fighting an uphill battle, my husband recommended removing the mailbox and backing up through the yard to the street. My friend and I had assumed that the mailbox was a fixed obstacle. Not so! Since it had never been cemented, it rose easily.
CREATE MOVEMENT
Even though the final plan was to go backwards, moving slightly back and forth to create a rocking motion is what ultimately got the car moving. It is counterintuitive to move in a different direction than you want to go, but often ANY type of movement is enough to get things going.
GIVES A GOOD PUSH TO KEEP IT RUNNING
Once the car started to move, a few strong pushes helped get it going.
All went well. My friend got home safe and sound. My garden escaped remarkably unscathed; the only plants affected were the annuals that I pluck every spring anyway. Since she’s not the only friend who has struggled with our driveway, we now offer valet parking.
I hope that one or more of these approaches will be helpful the next time you feel stuck in the mud, snow, or in life.