The date for paying Uncle Sam his annual taxes has passed and the saying that “in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes” rings true. Benjamin Franklin is given credit for the saying, although there were two others who used it before.

Whoever coined the phrase is not as important as the meaning itself. For sure, death and taxes are two things that ring certain in our lives. But, there are a few other situations that I have found just as certain.

Have you waited for hours for an important telephone call? You had a million things to do, but the one thing you wanted more than anything was to hear from the friend or family member who had promised to call.

You’ve spent half the day waiting. You tried to go about your life as best you could and you get a few things done, but the call never came and you simply had to get a bath or shower and run some errands. You know what happens when you get your hair all lathered up and in need of a rinse? The phone rings. It never fails!

Here is another common situation. You have driven this busy road many times when you were not in a hurry. You were blessed to “hit” every light when it was green. Today, though, you are running late for your doctor’s appointment and guess how many lights catch you just as they are turning red. Not one, not two, but all of them. It never fails!

You’re in a line waiting your turn. It could be the bank or the checkout counter at the grocery. There are two people in front of you, but they don’t have much in their baskets.

The grass is always greener on the other side or, in this case, you look at another line that has only one person. Why should you wait behind two people? After all, there are green lights just waiting to turn red on you.

With great enterprise, you leave your line and rush to the line with only one person in it only to find that her buggy is overflowing with 125 items. It doesn’t matter that this line is for people with 12 items or less. You would like to return to your original line with only two people with just a few items, but another three people have taken your spot. It never fails!

Grocery stores or other businesses, like drive-thru eateries, with lines are not the greatest places to go when in a hurry. Oh, you think, here is a line with only one person. Great, I’ve struck it rich. “Not so fast, Kemosabe.”

Of the two items in her basket, one needs a price check. And upon checkout, she can’t remember her pin number for her debit card and she has her child run to the car for the cash, only to come back with half enough. It never fails!

Finally, you have set your alarm clock for an early appointment in another town. You have figured the time very carefully allowing for the maximum amount of sleep and a minimum time for getting to the early morning appointment.

Face washed, teeth brushed, coffee made and you are feeling pretty good about getting there on time. You turn the switch for your car and, no, the battery is not dead. Gotcha on that one, didn’t I? No, everything is fine and dandy, except for one thing. That doggone fuel light comes on and you need gasoline. It never fails!