I spent this past weekend in West Virginia for a job interview, not to be confused with a specific region in its neighboring state of the same name. It was a very exciting and yet completely exhausting time spent meeting multitudes of people while fielding a wide array of interview questions. This was my first trip to the “Mountain State” and it was breathtaking in more ways than one.

First of all, the mountainous backdrop creates some amazing views, especially for this homegrown Hoosier. The other reason lies in something that makes me a statistical anomaly: I blew a tire as I drove down the curvaceous roads and found my tire colliding with a rather sharp pothole. Now, one may say that this, while being rather unlucky, is a fairly common occurrence, especially in the rough and worn roads of West Virginia. I would agree with you. It is the second blown tire later that day while driving on the interstate that makes me feel rather victimized by such an unlikely sequence of events.

One flat tire may leave you a bit upset, disheveled, angry, peeved, shaken-up and broke. Two flat tires will leave you clutching your wallet while curled up in the fetal position uncontrollably sobbing. If you thought your day was rough before, wait until you are halted twice by a deflated piece of rubber. It was this rather draining and unbelievable whirlwind of a day that has left me with a few reflections.

Flat Tires: We All Have Them

Everybody has them. Whether they are literal flat tires or their equivalent, we all experience them. It amazed me how many of the people from the church I was visiting had stories of flat tires. It is very easy in those moments to feel that you are the only person who has ever experienced this kind of inconvenience; rest assured that you are not alone. We all hit bumps in the road (pun intended). It is this common bond that we as people all share that makes us, in a way, more connected. We all struggle, we all fail and we all can relate to pain on varying levels. So next time you have a flat tire or even a bad day, just remember your great grandpa lived during the Great Depression, and that will help you decompress (pun number two).

Flat Tires: They Show You Who Your Friends Are

Now, getting two flat tires is on no one’s list of fun activities, but it could be worse. We could have been stranded in the middle of Ohio, and there are few things worse than being stranded in America’s fanny pack. The luck and providence of this experience were found in the generosity and helping spirits of those I had just met. In both cases, there was a community member there to help me change, assess, find and, in one scenario, even buy a tire (you know who you are). It was through this crazy turn of events that I got to truly experience a community that is more than willing to help. The same holds true with other crisis-like situations. In these times of need, it seems that those who truly care come to the surface. Sometimes it is the simple presence of a friend that makes our flat tire moments not quite so deflating (pun again).

Flat Tires: They Don’t Last Forever

One of the hardest parts of these flat tire moments is that they seem to last forever, but that is simply untrue. Though our vision may be clouded by the gross haze of the unfortunate events, this fog will lift. Not to be trite, but life does indeed go on. Tires get replaced, wounds eventually heal, and life gives you more moments of excitement. There is beauty in those “life goes on moments.” We can all take comfort in the fact that life goes on, and that should inflate your look on life (four puns! Whoo!).