Can't Change Your Fate


I don’t always believe in fate.  But there are some things that happen, and the odds just stack up against you.  And you can’t help but think nothing you could have done would have changed the outcome.  You can’t change your fate. 

Saturday morning, I had a goal: get to the beach as early as possible to enjoy the day.  Amanda and Josh also had a goal: avoid a flat tire.  We both took measures to make sure our goals would be reached.  But fate had other plans. 

Saturday, because six of us were going to the beach, we took two cars.  Because I wanted to spend as much time as possible in the sun, I went in the early car with Amanda and Josh.  We left Guayama by about 8:30am, right on schedule. 

Amanda and Josh, likewise, tried to avoid a flat tire by going to get new tires on Friday evening.  They purchased used tires and were pleased with the speedy service of getting them changed. 

We both thought we’d achieve our goals.
Nope. 

At about 9:45am, we felt a familiar thump-thump-thump-thump, and Josh pulled over. 
The right front tire (one of the newly replaced ones) was not only flat, it was shredded. 
Well…they tried.  But apparently we were meant to get a flat tire and be delayed on our way to the beach.  You can’t change your fate. 




And it was the theme, all morning.  We took a “donut break” with a dual purpose—to eat our breakfast and to give the donut tire a chance to cool down a bit.  Amanda proactively thought to avoid getting powdered sugar all over the seat of the car.  So, she took her donut with her and got out of the car.  Then she thought, she’d better have a napkin too.  So, she leaned into the car through the open window…and dumped powdered sugar from her donut all over the seat. 
You just can’t change your fate.  And that’s exactly what she told Josh when he noticed the white seat.    

The rest of the day was pretty great.  We’d only been about half an hour from our destination when we got the flat, so we just drove the remaining distance at about 35-40mph.  We still arrived at Crashboat Beach by about 11am, and the others joined us by noon.  The beach was a beautiful as ever, and we all enjoyed our day in the sun and on the sand.  It was relaxing, and…just great.  As any good day at the beach should be.  

Crashboat Beach, Aguadilla, PR

We stayed almost until sunset...

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