ILLUMINATION

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Nothing Like a Spanner in the Works to Derail Your Plans

And mess up your weekend.

Ryan J
ILLUMINATION
Published in
3 min readFeb 16, 2025

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Photo by Christian Erfurt on Unsplash

“Man makes plans and God laughs.” — Michael Chabon

It was bound to happen. Things were going too well. But I should have known there was a spanner about to be thrown in the works sooner or later.

Friday evening. I was driving home from work, content with life. I was happy and planning the weekend, thinking about how to spend the next few days off with my family. Suddenly, a noise that sent shivers down everyone’s spine filled the car, followed by an illuminating orange light on the car’s dashboard. The engine management light!

BING! GEARBOX ERROR!

F**k!

It was almost instantaneous. As soon as the alert slapped me in the face the car jolted and would not shift from second gear, no matter what I tried. I had to pull over. Damn!

When Life Throws a Spanner in the Works

The situation above is precisely how my weekend began. Now, to some, this may not seem like a big deal. Cars break down all the time. Take it to a shop, let a mechanic work his magic, and you’re back on the road. Simple.

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ILLUMINATION
ILLUMINATION

Published in ILLUMINATION

We curate and disseminate outstanding articles from diverse domains and disciplines to create fusion and synergy.

Ryan J
Ryan J

Written by Ryan J

Writer from Northern Ireland 🍀 | Based in Sydney 🦘 | Exploring life, ideas, and stories worth telling.

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