Not running

Spoiler alert, this is not about running on trails, roads or treadmills, but I will try and eventually find a way to link body and mind to this predicament. I just took the magnets off my fridge. Does that give you a hint? About three months ago, my fridge started to make noises. I had a repair guy over after studying the problem on the Internet. I told him exactly what I thought the problem was and the potential fix. This is an important element as I live on an island with no car ferry access, so the repair guy needs to know what to bring over on the foot-passenger ferry in order not to have to make two trips (and cost twice as much).

He confirmed my diagnosis after he examined inside the bottom, back of the fridge. Notice I said back of fridge… Yes, ew, dust, spiderwebs and several years of accumulated detritus. Anyway, he fixed the fridge and it was up and running in short order. He was my hero! Oh and given the opportunity, I cleaned behind the fridge.

All was well until about two months later and a different noise manifested itself from the fridge, plus a new twist – throwing the breaker. A call to my fridge repair hero determined that the compressor had blown. Some more Internet research and discussions with few more repair guys confirmed my hero’s diagnosis: It was more expensive to repair the fridge than to buy a new one. My heart was broken!

How could this be? Our fridge was only 12 years old! (Apparently that is average these days.) I loved that fridge! It still looks brand-new. Geez Louise, are we talking about built-in obsolescence? Why can’t they build fridges like they used to; ones that lasted 30 years? Why can’t they build fridges that are 100% repairable at an affordable price? I know I’m being unreasonable; the economy would fail if this were true! After all the usual grieving steps were undertaking, not only did I remove the magnets, I cleaned the poor old fellow. It looks wonderful, only it doesn’t work. The only fate for it now is to be recycled: taken apart bit by bit. I’m so sad!

Prior to cleaning, I undertook several days of Internet research and made many a phone call which led me to contact one company to purchase a new fridge. I was promised that I could get one particular model within a week. That was way better than the three weeks promised for other models and by other companies. But, the company who said a week had to renege on that, putting it out to 3 weeks. I found another company who could get me a new fridge, different model, same size and style, within a week. HOORAY! They were good on their promise, it arrived in short order to the store, but then I had to wait for the delivery guys, who I could not book until I knew when I might get the fridge in the city. They were back-logged, due to a truck breakdown, but are promising delivery today. I live in hope.

I’ve been told that appliance companies don’t have warehouses anymore. They all get them shipped from the manufacturer (almost made to order). Luckily most of the brands that I was looking at are made in the USA and are regularly shipped from the plant, unless the model is discontinued, etc. However, if I had wanted a fridge that was stainless steel, I could have had it yesterday: stores somehow manage to find room to house them (apparently due to high volume sales). But, I wanted a white model to fit the built in space that already existed. Fussy, yes, but I had my reasons!

Well, there has to be some life lessons here. It is not just about the fridges or their delivery that matter in our lives!

1. Patience is a virtue: I’ve learned to live with that living on an island and having very specific needs. Try not to compromise on what you want most.
2. Gratitude: I’m grateful that we have a separate stand alone freezer where I could store the freezer items and make blocks of ice to put into the fridge to continue to use it as an icebox! In addition, I’m grateful that our neighbour is away so I could her fridge for more delicate items that need to be kept colder than an icebox, but not frozen, e.g. wine, cheese and other culinary delights. I’m also grateful that we have a company who will deliver to my island.
3. Regarding running, well, just like fridges, bodies break down once in a while, but unlike fridge compressor malfunctions, they are always worth repairing! With patience we can get back up to speed again and we can attain our goals. Perhaps we let ourselves get a little rusty or dusty like the fridge and parts begin to break down. It is never too late to get off the couch and start an exercise program! And above all, we should be grateful that we can run and move our bodies and we should or else we too will suffer from built-in obsolescence.