When You Lose Your Motivation


Lost Motivation Because of an AccidentAll last week, I didn’t write one word for my second book. You might ask, “What happened? Is it writer’s block?” Some of it can be attributed to writer’s block. Trying to write a story that happens simultaneously with the first book takes a lot of thought to ensure that you write what was happening in the first book that has nothing to do with the first book, but at the same time weave it into the current story. But that’s just one aspect that stopped me from writing last week—and probably for the next couple of days this week, as well.

Last week on my way home after picking up my 7-year-old, I was stopped at a red light behind another car, as per usual. At this intersection, there is a green arrow for the right turners before it turns into a full-fledged green light. And usually, even if the light turns green, you would think that you would generally wait until the person in front of you proceeds. What does the giant SUV behind me do? Accelerates into my 2009 Mazda 5. I’m just glad she didn’t ram me into the car in front of me. That would have just added to my nightmare.

She was all apologetic and asked that we don’t go through insurance because she’ll pay for all the damages. The thing with auto insurance in Ontario, Canada is, we have no-fault insurance. That basically means that people can’t sue for car accidents. Also, it means that your own insurance pays for the damages. From what I remember from insurance courses I took in school, the insurance company takes care of compensation from the other insurance company based on fault.

I thought about it but I’ve got paranoid tendencies. So, I decided to go report it to the police (for insurance records) and just go through insurance anyway. I won’t have to pay a deductible and my insurance rates won’t go up. I love my insurance company (shout out to TD Meloche Monnex) and the collision repair shop they referred me to (another shout out to Car Star). The advice and change over to the car rental was seamless.

One piece of advice I got from my insurance was that I needed to replace my car seats for the kids. Apparently, the car seats are considered “compromised” once they are involved in a car accident—even if there was no damage to the car seats. So, I went out and bought new car seats and the reimbursement cheque is in the mail.

You would think that with the great service so far that my writer’s block would lift, especially since emotionally charged events tend to bring the creative side of people ferociously, but I just got some possible bad news that my car may cost less than the amount of the car repairs. It’s a good thing I didn’t go with the “accidenter’s” suggestion (I’m going to make up that word) because she indicated that it would only take 2 days and not cost that much.

I am now heartbroken. That car has been with my family for almost 6 years. And the amount for the write-off will be far less than I can afford to pay for a used car—I can’t even contemplate a brand new car. I’m trying not to get too emotional about it but it sucks. I just hope that I can find some kernel of inspiration (be it anger or sadness) to write something. Maybe even skip ahead in the book and write the dark moment.

Stock images from StockByte and iStock

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