BETWEEN THE LINES: BAD THINGS HAPPEN TO GOOD PEOPLE MORE OFTEN THAN THEY LIKE

Ever heard that every cloud has a silver lining or that rain showers bring rainbows?

Surely, you have. They are common expressions for people who want you to look on the bright side of a bad thing. Sometimes that's easier said than done, however.

In the past weeks, I've faced plenty of bad moments -- nothing serious but it seemed so at the time, only to realize that I was pretty lucky considering how bad my run of luck could have been.

My friend Denise told me recently that sometimes when life throws you "Oh, NO!" moments, there's often something good that comes out of it. "Oh, NO!" moments are those times in life, usually just split seconds that flash by, when you realize something awful just happened and you can't stop it. These moments range from spilling half a bucket of paint on the sidewalk to running a red light and causing an accident.

It's reassuring to know that even when times are bad, people are around to help you make it through. Or at least they get a laugh from your funny stories of those "Oh, NO!" moments.

None of my rotten moments of late was quite so dramatic as an "Oh, NO!" moment, but they seemed close at the time. About two weeks ago, my car's engine overheated along Interstate 70 about an hour outside Columbia.

It seemed awful at the time, considering I'd gotten so close to my final destination just to have my trip cut short. But things got worse when I realized how much it would cost to have my car repaired.

I hitched a ride with my brother, who obligingly drove me to Columbia, and paid a mechanic for the repairs. Things were looking better already. But that was before my car overheated a second time (after the repairs were finished) on my way back home.

I had my car towed to the same shop for what I thought would be another set of repairs and hitched a ride to St. Louis with my friend Marc. I begged rides from co-workers and family while I awaited the verdict. It wasn't good. My dad brought the car home and I'm hoping that the repairs my mechanic made will be enough for it to last just a little while longer.

I've learned two valuable lessons from my car woes:

-- Find a more reliable car, or make the necessary repairs to make my vehicle reliable; and

-- Have enough friends and relatives scattered around the country that can help you get where you're going.

I'd never have made it all this time without those people -- and there are too many to name them all.

Of course, my troubles didn't just stop with the car. During that same week, I encountered yet another dilemma: Bumblebees.

Just days after my car mishap, I discovered a colony of bumblebees living in my front yard and buzzing around my front door. I had to call pest control to come and eradicate the bees. He sprayed the yard and the bees were gone until this weekend. A few stragglers have found their way back and are hoping to make a new home. I'd prefer that they remain homeless or move to another neighborhood.

All these little troubles seemed like such tragedies at the time. It's taken me a few days to figure out that my problems weren't nearly as severe as they could have been. I wasn't hurt in any sort of accident when my car quit running, nor was I stung by that colony of bees.

In all, I'd say things turned out rather well, considering.

Laura Johnston is a staff writer for the Southeast Missourian.