NORTHWEST ARKANSAS — Even though we agree wholeheartedly on some of the big-ticket items of life, my husband Earl and I think very differently about some of the smaller issues that arise from day to day.

This is never more apparent than when it comes to loading a vehicle. Although he’s a good packer, the point at which each of us concludes that not everything is going to fit into the available space is miles apart. In my opinion, he decides way too soon - often before we even get started - that there is either too much stuff ornot enough room. I, on the other hand, am always up for the challenge and must give it a try before I am convinced. I think he would admit that my persistence usually pays off, although I won’t ask him to confirm that today. I don’t want to chance having to change my story midstream.

In any case, each time a larger item is purchased when we are together, his first response is, “We’ll need to bring the truck back and pick it up.”

I remind him that I have fit book cases, area rugs, baker’s racks, dining sets,exercise equipment and all kinds of other large things in my vehicle with no problem. The biggest challenge in most cases is convincing him to let me give it a shot before giving in.

My daughters, Andrea and Megan, tend to be like me. Give us a vehicle with cargo space behind fold-down back seats, and we are the equivalent of two men and a truck. This comes in quite handy when we go garage saleing together. We have even surprised ourselves a few times, along with an occasional observer, with all the stuff we can pack in.

On one particular morning, the three of us were shopping for items to help furnish Megan’s first apartment. The car was quite full already, but we decided to make one more stop beforeheading home to unload. As luck would have it, we found an old trunk at this sale that would make a perfect combination of coffee table and storage space in her small living room. The owner shot us a low price and we told him we’d take it if we could find a way to get it in the car. The situation did not look hopeful at first but, after more consideration, we decided we would first need to unload most of what was already in the vehicle and place it inside the trunk, then load the trunk itself.

This took a little more time and effort than we anticipated, but Andrea’s witty comments throughout ensured that we each kept a sense of humor. In the end, the plan was successful and we’d had a few laughs in the process.

Ready to leave with our full load, I turned to pay the seller and he was smiling, too. “I don’t really want totake your money,” he said. “It was worth that much just to watch how you did that.”

Just like mamma used to say, “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.”

It works almost every time.

Annette Rowe is a free

lance writer from rural

Gentry and a speech-lan

guage pathologist at Siloam

Springs High School. She

may be reached by email at

awalkinthepark50@yahoo.

com.

Opinion, Pages 6 on 10/10/2012