An amusing mix-up

I left you alone for a week, and consequently, my column as well. I thought I would rest and take a vacation for a week. It did me good. I don't know about you? I went to the places where I was born, to the Pırnaz plateau. Elmalıyurt, whose old historical name is Pırnaz, is a charming village nestled in the Taurus Mountains, attached to the Gölhisar district of Burdur province. It is a plateau village where green is abundant and the waters are cold. Geographically, it is in the Western Taurus Mountains. It is a neighbor to the borders of Çameli in Denizli and Fethiye in Muğla. It is so beautiful and green that one's eyes, heart, and soul are refreshed. The wheat is being harvested, the straw is in bales, and the wheat is waiting in sacks, waiting for winter. Apples are on the branches, and walnuts are preparing for winter along with the sun.

How wonderful it is to take a short or long daily or weekly vacation, to have a change of pace, and to recharge your energy.

You might say, "In this economic hardship and scarcity, do we have the state of mind to take a step or go on vacation?" I know. But still, a vacation without spending too much money in these difficult times is good. Going to stay for a few days with an acquaintance or friend, whether far or near, old or new, will be good for both them and you. 

I also decided to go to the lands where I was born, even if it was for a short time. I told myself I would set off early from İzmir. After some preparations, I went to my car in the parking lot. Well, I left my few suitcases next to the car. The key was in my hand. I pressed the remote key, again and again. There was neither sound nor light. While I was thinking to myself, "Has the battery worn out or what happened?", I looked at the car and the key again and again. Same make, same model, and same color. I forced the key a few more times. Not a peep. "We are going to be late." I was also going to drop my wife off at the hospital. How was I going to explain this to her? As the time to set off grew shorter, I began to feel a mounting tension. I started to think, "After my old car was totaled, the new one I bought left me stranded very early." I walked away from my car. I came back and went again. I repeated this a few more times. Just in case it had jammed. It wouldn't work, it wouldn't work, the doors wouldn't open. 

I decided to call my car company's roadside assistance. I pressed various buttons on the phone by following the robot's commands. When I finally pressed the relevant button, didn't the robot say, "You are 3rd in line"? Anyway, I had no choice but to wait. 5-6 minutes later, a young lady on the other end of the phone asked for "your name, surname, the type of vehicle, registration information, and the chassis number." I got annoyed early in the morning and snapped, "My dear, the car won't open, so the registration is inside. How can I provide the chassis number?" She repeated that they could not help without the registration information, especially the chassis number. While I was thinking about what to say, the attendant girl said, "The chassis number is in the upper right corner of the windshield. Look and read it to me," which was a huge relief. As I leaned on my feet to read the number on the windshield, and as it got a bit brighter outside, I could also see inside the car. When I looked inside the car, I blurted out, "Oh, this car isn't mine." I was shaken for a moment. I looked at the license plate; it wasn't my plate. Should I be happy? Should I be sad? I didn't know. The phone was still on, and the other party was waiting for the chassis number. I scanned the surroundings. About 30-40 meters away, another car that looked like mine caught my eye. I went in that direction. My car was there. The phone was still on. I apologized to the attendant lady, feeling embarrassed, saying, "The key must have jammed." And I thanked her. The attendant said, "I am directing you to a survey. I would be happy if you could answer our 2-question survey," and hung up the phone. 

I later learned that my son Emre had moved the car the day before after I had gone to buy soil to repot a plant in my garden and returned. I experienced this incident because he forgot to tell me that he had changed the parking spot. It could happen to you too, and I wanted to share this amusing mix-up with you in these tense times. 

Even though the adrenaline spiked for a short time, we set off fully awake early in the morning. You know, sometimes there are mishaps in life. One should think that there will definitely be a solution without panicking or worrying too much. 

The vacation started with mishaps and ended with beauties. I prepared for winter by recharging my energy. 

By the way, I completed my New Party membership on my mobile phone (via the internet). I am now a member of the New Party. I will participate in the first intra-party elections. New Party members will choose their leaders directly. No delegates or anything. Register by August 26th. Gain the right to vote for district presidencies. 

Please take care of your health, especially your mental health.