The underdog

I am tough when it comes to the underdog. Point out someone who cannot stand up for himself who is the victim of an injustice, and I’m immediately ready to fight tooth and nail for that person. I’m not one to stand idly by while a bully beats up the little guy.

I’m not so good at taking care of myself in the same manner. For some unknown reason I begin to wonder if I am causing inconvenience, or pain. No thought of my own inconvenience or pain.

I am currently in the midst of one of those dilemmas. Almost two months ago a woman driving a giant SUV backed into my car while in a grocery store parking lot. She gave me her insurance card so I could get my car fixed.

I called her insurance and began the process. A few days later I received a phone call from her begging me to do everything in my power to keep the cost under $500. If it went above that mark her insurance would go up. She told me she had been unemployed for 8 months, and an increase in her insurance premiums would cause her distress.

I empathized with her since I have been under/unemployed for 2 1/2 years. It has been stressful trying to  cobble together a series of contract positions to replace my full time job. Is it any wonder that being unemployed made her an underdog in my eyes? So when she gave me the name of a local body shop that she felt would be low cost, I went.

Unfortunately the quote they gave me was more than $800.
I did nothing for the next several weeks while I thought it through.

What was the right thing to do? My car was drivable, but leaving the damage lowered the resale value.
I knew I should get it fixed, but she had begged me to keep it low.
I had no control over what any shop charged.
If I got it fixed and her premiums were raised, I would be causing her distress.

Round and round I went. Until the epiphany hit that I was the victim here, and it really was not fair of her to cause ME distress like she did. I was the true underdog.

Earlier this week I finally made the call and set up the appointment. I am still dripping with guilt, but I will get the car fixed.