It was a sunny afternoon on the 7th of January, a week before my graduation ceremony. My schedule was packed and I had to run errands before the important day. My dad decided to join me to assist in whatever he could. We started the engine and began to drive out of the parking lot.
Upon reversing the car, both my dad and I felt that something was amiss. He said to me that “the steering wheel feels stiff” but he did not know what had caused it. (We had just sent the car for servicing 4 days prior.) Sitting at the passenger seat, I told him to drive slower and look out for any other signs.
As we started driving, I felt that the car was out of balance. I could feel every inch of the road as if it was a 4D movie system. It was too dangerous ❌ to stop in the middle of the road, so I advised my dad to drive slowly to the side alleys where we can stop and inspect the car.
To our horror, we found a nail pierced into the left tire of the car. As I was in a rush, I knew that calling ☎️ for a tow truck would not only take time but prevent me from completing my tasks.
I decided to turn to my teacher who has never failed me, YouTube.
As we stood under the blazing heat ☀️?, I was watching videos on YouTube on how to replace a flat tyre. Equipped with the proper knowledge, I then told my dad that I could fix it as his hand was injured.
I began gathering the right tools and equipment from the trunk of the car and started working on it. (My only regret is that I did not have the bodyweight to loosen the screws, it was a blessing that my dad was there.) I really admire how those construction workers can endure Singapore’s heat while wearing masks ?.
After much sweat and tears, I managed to get the old tyre off and replace it with the spare tyre that we had. My dad decided to be helpful in reporting the news to the family and also decided to take photos of my labour (hahaha ???).
After an hour of labour, the tire was fixed and we could get back to running my errands.
It was a sigh of relief as if it was not detected earlier, who knows what kind of accident we might have gotten into. Really reminded me that we are blessed ?? to have spotted it early on.
The second lesson I picked up is the importance of having a back-up plan. For over 20 years of my life, I’ve always wondered why there was a need to have a spare tyre at the back of the car. Was it for fashion? (Like the Land Rover kind)
Or is it there for times of emergencies like the one my dad and I encountered?
Similarly it made me reflect on all the premiums my mom has paid for my insurance. It is a blessing that I do not have to claim for any of them currently. But in times of emergency ?,
these insurance are there as my “spare tyre”.
Important: The information and opinions in this article are for general information purposes only. They should not be relied on as professional financial advice. Readers should seek independent financial advice that is customised to their specific financial objectives, situations & needs. This advertisement or publication has not been reviewed by the Monetary Authority of Singapore.
Gabriel strives to provide a positive impact to his clients, as well as the people around him. The values of honesty and integrity have been deeply entrenched in him from young, and he strongly believes in transparency and providing only impartial unbiased advice, something which he feels he can make a difference in the industry.
Having graduated from Singapore Management University with a Bachelors of Business Management, Gabriel Lim has chosen the path of becoming a financial consultant under Financial Alliance.
He constantly works to improve his skills and knowledge of the business with the goal of being the most valuable asset in financial planning to all his clientele. This is captured by his firm belief in providing his clients with peace of mind, to help bring them one step closer to achieving all their financial goals in life.
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