I wonder what Santa does when he has sleigh troubles. Does he have an on-call sleigh mechanic, ready to magically materialise and dash off repairs at the drop of a hat? Does Santa have a toolbox in the back, and enough nous to have a poke around himself, perhaps with varying degrees of success? Or does he, like the rest of us, simply plop down on the curb with his head in his hands, wishing he’d stayed home with a nice cup of tea and a biscuit?
If only I could summon a magic mechanic, or at least a mechanic shop open near Northcote, on this balmy week-before-Christmas evening. As it stands, I have to make do with waiting for roadside assistance from a designated provider while at the mercy of Thursday night traffic. I’m doing my best to embrace the festive spirit by enjoying a peppermint-gingernut ice cream from the servo while I wait. So far, I can’t say it’s going along way towards anything other than a sugar crash. What can you do, though?
Really, I think the best way to ‘get into the spirit’ is to just go with the flow. There’s only so much you can do to avoid inconvenience, irritation and vast expense at this time of year, so why fight it? If I have to shell out for a transmission service, then so be it. If I have to wait until January before I have a car again, so be that too. If I end up eating a second Christmas-themed novelty ice cream from the servo, that’s the way the news goes.
It’s all a matter of mindset, and asking yourself what Santa would do in this situation. As I suggested earlier, Santa might not be any wiser than the rest of us when it comes to unexpected vehicle breakdowns. But I’m willing to bet he doesn’t fight the urge to have a second ice cream, even if it is simply to pass the time.