What is a "cat comm"?

I took my car in for a routine oil change this morning and an hour later found myself going back into the dealer as the "check engine" light came on and I lost power to the engine.  The initial diagnosis was that the mechanic had failed to tighten the air filter hose and it simply needed to be re-adjusted.  After waiting for 45 minutes in the lobby (ironically the original oil change only took about twelve minutes) they told me that it had suffered a "cat comm".  A what?!?

In the car business this is short for "catastrophic communication failure".  I am pretty sure they shortened the moniker so that customers didn't completely freak out when their service adviser told them what had happened.  Turns out the computer chips get gummed up and need to be cleaned occasionally.  When this happens, the computer simply assumes the worst and begins to shut down the engine to actually PREVENT the catastrophic event from occurring.  Ironic, isn't it?

It took a couple of hours to get everything taken care of, so I had some time to think about my reaction to the situation.  I really only had three choices -- anger, sulking over my misfortune on a Saturday, or gratitude that it was only a minor issue that was still covered under warranty.  I didn't really feel angry since the overall situation was a pretty good result (especially financially) and having this happen on a Saturday is a heckuva lot more convenient than a Tuesday while at work.  So gratitude has set in, and it was enhanced by my dealer (shout out to Hummel's Nissan) providing a few vouchers for free oil changes for my inconvenience.

On to the moral of the story -- choosing your reaction to "cat comm" in other areas of your life will likely determine your level of success and happiness.  They are bound to happen to all of us, so it is good to be prepared ahead of time with what your reaction could and should be.  Here's to hoping you don't have to encounter many "cat comms" in your days to come, but if and when they do I hope you choose to look at the brighter side of life.