Car trouble and a mad dash
In her latest column, The Good Life, Gemma Good learned a couple of new life lessons - among them the function of a brake calliper!
While trying to motivate the class to start our final essay, one of our lecturers mentioned that we only have three weeks left to have it completed. I wondered why it was due so early and not at the end of the semester like the rest. That’s when I realised - this was when the semester ended. Back when I was in Leaving Certificate, I had my projects and assignments done weeks in advance to allow myself time to perfect them before submission. I don’t know what college has done to me, I now leave everything until the last minute and often don’t know assignments are due until I check my course group chat. I think everybody needs a certain level of ‘it’ll be grand’ but I think my levels have gone beyond acceptable.
It all started on Sunday evening, the time when I usually return to college. I drove home from work and couldn’t help but notice the smell coming from my car. It was a burning smell and it was bad. I rang my mechanic, who told me to check all the tyres on the car to see if they were hot and found the rear driver’s side tyre hot with a red, powdery looking substance on the alloy. The back brake calliper was worn. Disaster!
I asked if I could bring the car to Limerick and get it looked at over the weekend. This wasn’t received too well and really showed my ignorance when it comes to mechanics.
I dropped the car off to be repaired and returned home to see how I could make it to Limerick. There was although slight problem - I hadn’t started my presentation.
I rang my insurance company with the intention of taking my parent’s car for the week. No joy, they do not open at all on weekends. Was this a joke? Issues such as this are not limited to office hours!
I sat down and did my presentation. It was a group project on false information. We had chosen to talk about the spread of fake vaccine information and the effect of it. I was doing the HPV vaccine. I found this really interesting because, after getting the vaccine, some of my friends believe they suffered from tiredness, epileptic fits and dizziness. Despite this, my research found that the vaccine is safe to use.
It’s a topical issue now with the COVID-19 vaccine. Some people are genuinely afraid to take it and I think it was wrong to penalise them for that. With my project finished, bags packed and all ready to go, the insurance company allowed me to take my parent’s car for the week for only €33. I hopped into the car and away. Although I didn’t break any speed limits, there was no time for stopping on the way up. My class was on from 12-2pm. I had every intention of landing at around 1pm and delivering the best presentation you have ever heard.
I pulled up to the college at 12.50pm. Glancing at my phone, an outlook notification told me that the class had been cancelled and the presentations re-scheduled to next week. After all my efforts, I just wanted to get the thing over and done with. Typical!
I hope all the mammies out there soaked up the sunshine and love on Sunday.
* Gemma Good is from Killeshandra and a second year journalism student in University of Limerick.
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