something special

Yesterday as I was driving home I had an idea. It was -5 degrees C and so many salt spreaders had been out that there was a thick layer of salt on the road and all the cars were covered in it. The car washes get closed down if the temperature drops too low so no one was cleaning it off. I got home and filled a bucket with warm water and set about making my car cleaner than it had ever been before. It positively sparkled and I immediately jumped in and went for a drive. where did I go on this momentous occasion? Tesco's of course. I went to buy groceries (and to attempt to impress one of the checkout staff) but for one glorious hour my car was by far the shiniest vehicle on the roads. I had a special car.

Why did I do it? Let's face it, looking down at it in the car park now it is just as covered in salt as the rest of the cars. But just for a short moment it was something different from the rest; and I've come to realise that the term special is just as relative as terms like better or faster or larger. As a special needs teacher that's a big realisation. You can't be special all of the time - sometimes being special is easier than other times - sometimes being special isn't what I really want or need at a particular time. What is important is that I am the best I can be in my own little world - and that I clean my car from time to time.