It started out innocently enough. We arrived home from a lengthy trip and realized that workers were coming the next day to start replacing our deck. Our RV usually sits on a large paved pad next to our house, but that area would be needed by the construction workers.

My husband, just as he has done on several other occasions, pulled the RV forward into the grass. This gave the workers plenty of room to tear down the old deck and stage the new construction. He is always considerate and thinking ahead.

A few days later, we had an annual service appointment to get the RV ready for camping season. It would be a bit of a challenge backing it out past the trees and the construction trailer sitting on the rv’s usual parking spot, but we knew we could do it. It can’t be any worse than backing into a campsite. Am I right?

We went out and started our 30 foot motorhome and realized …… it had sunk into the earth. The ground had swallowed the tires. While we had been traveling it had apparently rained….a lot. The topsoil was dry, but underneath was a muddy quicksand. We didn’t know that our usual place to park the rv when it needed to be in the grass was a hidden swamp.

Our powerful engine counted for nothing when the tires just spun. But we were resourceful. We dug out mud around the tires and laid down wood strips for traction and tried again. If anything, it sank lower. Not to worry, we aren’t easily daunted. We hooked our trusty chevy pickup to the rv with heavy towing cable and pulled. Nothing. We put the rv into reverse and used two engines with a lot of horsepower. Nothing.

Okay….time to phone a friend. Our neighbor has a hemi…. I don’t really know what that is, but he seems to enjoy pulling people out of ditches with it. Within minutes, he showed up with a grin. “This will do it!” Except it didn’t. We tried every combination of towing tricks we could think of. Once we noticed that the step at the door into the rv was sitting in the grass, we decided it was time to stop. If we kept going it might be completely buried.

I went in the house and called our emergency roadside assistance number. It was time for professionals. I wish the call was recorded. It would have been entertaining. “Yes, I need help. I don’t know whether I need a winch or a tow. I don’t know how much the vehicle weighs. It is not stuck in snow or sand, just mud. It is currently 20 feet from my driveway. The location of the rv is at my home address. Yes, I need roadside assistance at my house. Yes, my home address is the location. No someone doesn’t need to come in the dark, tomorrow morning is fine. Why am I doing a lengthy process to allow text messaging while I’m trying to set up service is this really necessary right now? I just need someone to get the rv back on the pavement….AT MY HOME address.”

After an eternity I am off the phone, it but almost immediately it rings. “Yes, we do need assistance. No, we don’t need a mechanic. What do you mean you don’t know where to find the rv? It is at my home address. I understand you have my home address. No you don’t need me to tell you the location of the rv. I have done that four times. The rv is currently stuck AT MY HOME address.”

I wasn’t stressed, but now I had adrenaline crashing through my body. What if they are not able to remove the rv from the mud? The professionals weren’t very reassuring. I spent the rest of the evening thinking of plan b’s.

As it turned out, everything went fine. I wasn’t home for the great rv rescue operation. My husband tells me that he had to call back and go through a similar phone process to get someone to the house. But finally, after a series of additional calls, a highly competent local tow truck operator showed up with a winch. The construction team helped guide my husband past their equipment and all went well.

I try to learn from adversity. Isn’t typical that we often cause a new problem by trying to “fix” a situation? (We will save the construction crew a headache by moving the rv). Then when we notice a problem we race into action (I can take care of this by doing what I know from a prior experience)…sometimes making it worse (those four things I tried actually sank the tires further into the earth). Thankfully, we have friends to help us along the way, even if they often can’t fix things for us. They lighten the load and give us encouragement and suggestions. (Neighbors are the best. Seriously love them.) When it is time, we sometimes need to call in the professionals. (We have insurance for a reason.) Getting help from strangers can be challenging. They don’t know you or your circumstances. It feels frustrating having to tell the same story repeatedly to people who only want to know their narrow slice of information. But when help arrives and the right person with the right skills and resources gets involved it is a lifesaver.

Thankfully, we are no longer stuck in the mud. The rv, muddy wheels above ground, is sitting in the middle of our driveway. It is a bit of an obstacle until the construction is done and it can go back to its usual parking place. I don’t mind driving around it. It is a visual reminder that help is available when you are stuck in the mud….. if you are not too stubborn or frustrated to use it.