In 1987, my mother found herself navigating life with a rusty Renault Encore—an unattractive, compact car that frequently broke down. I was old enough to feel the sting of embarrassment, insisting she drop me off a block away from school so my peers would think I walked. Financial constraints made it impossible to take the unreliable vehicle to a mechanic, who would likely have deemed it unworthy of repair.
One evening, after a long night of contemplating her options for the troublesome car, she stumbled upon an infomercial and decided to order a series of DIY auto repair books aimed at enthusiasts. Determined to take matters into her own hands, she dedicated her summer to mastering car maintenance. By the end of the season, my mother had taught herself how to change tires, perform oil changes, fix the emergency brake, and even replace belts, brakes, and spark plugs. She breathed new life into that Encore, saving it from the junkyard so many times that we began to wonder if anything could truly put it down.
As the new school year approached, my mother received a call from a university informing her that she had been selected for an interview from the temp-secretary candidate pool. Securing this position would alleviate our financial worries regarding food and utilities. However, the question loomed: Would the Encore make the trip?
The day before the interview, my mother practiced typing drills on our electric typewriter and quizzed herself on taking dictation. A neighbor graciously lent her a navy blue dress and beige pumps to ensure she looked professional. On the morning of the interview, she rushed through our routine and dropped me off at school 45 minutes early to avoid interstate traffic, her anxiety fixated on the possibility of the Encore breaking down.
While I spent my first school day chatting with friends about sunburns and crushes, I couldn’t shake my worry for my mother. Later that evening, she returned home and recounted her day. Arriving 15 minutes early to her interview, she made a positive impression on the human resources representative. The interview lasted an hour and seemed to go exceptionally well, with all the standard questions about her experience and future ambitions.
Once the interview concluded, my mother walked to the parking lot, only to be greeted by a terrible noise from the Encore, followed by a puff of smoke. The muffler had fallen off. Undeterred, she removed her borrowed shoes, grabbed a floor mat from the backseat, and knelt down to reattach the muffler right there in the parking lot. The HR lady, witnessing this, approached and asked if she needed assistance. My mother responded, “That’s very kind of you, but I can handle this myself. It just requires some grit and tenacity.” To her surprise, she was offered the job on the spot.
The Encore eventually met its end a few months later, but I had long since shed my embarrassment about being dropped off at school. My mother’s resourcefulness and dedication taught me invaluable lessons about resilience and determination.
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Summary
In summary, my mother’s journey with the unreliable Renault Encore exemplifies resilience in the face of adversity. Through her determination and willingness to learn, she transformed her challenges into opportunities, ultimately securing a job that relieved our financial burdens. Her experience taught me invaluable lessons about perseverance and self-reliance, shaping my outlook on life.