Waiting Room

The hum of the service department, punctuated by the tinny strains of “Shake Your Booty” on the Muzak, is hardly a recipe for tranquility. Especially when the news from the mechanic includes a recently expired warranty on a defective part and a dire warning about “threadbare” tires. This is my current reality, stuck in the waiting room of a car dealership, a place decidedly at odds with inner peace.

My usual escapes are unavailable. A stroll through the showroom of gleaming new cars holds no appeal; major purchases and peace rarely coexist in my experience. The plastic waiting-room chairs are a far cry from my comfortable reading nook at home, ruling out even a quick nap.

Adding to the cacophony are the half-dozen conversations echoing through the room. While “Shake Your Booty” attempts another assault on my eardrums, I’m privy to a symphony of personal crises: a sloppy-drunk boyfriend, multiple bank overdrafts, and a sister dating a drug addict. It’s a testament to the lack of privacy in public spaces.

How, then, do I find serenity amidst this storm of automotive woes and amplified personal dramas? Perhaps the answer lies in accepting that chaos is a natural state. It’s about actively seeking the elusive pockets of calm and peace, even when they seem to be hiding in plain sight.

About the author

Webb Hubbell is the former Associate Attorney General of The United States. His novels, When Men Betray, Ginger Snaps, A Game of Inches, The Eighteenth Green, and The East End are published by Beaufort Books and are available online or at your local bookstore. When Men Betray won one of the IndieFab awards for best novel in 2014. Ginger Snaps and The Eighteenth Green won the IPPY Awards Gold Medal for best suspense/thriller. His latest, “Light of Day” will be on the bookstands soon.

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