I had a puncture recently and went to a busy Federal Way auto shop to replace the tire.
In all the years I have been going to this place, never once had I been privileged to be the first person in line. I could not believe what I was seeing on that Friday afternoon.
The place was empty! Empty of staff and customers. They had to lay off a few employees because of a slowdown in sales. My curiosity went into overdrive when I saw how joyful one employee had been, smiling and humming as he worked.
He went on to tell me that he had spent some years in the banking sector as a financial bigwig, and his bank was one of the many that folded when the industry tumbled. He still owes more than $40,000 on his student loan for his finance degree. I asked: “Why then are you so happy, coupled with the fact that you have traded your suit and tie for greasy overalls?”
He stared at me for a minute, and mused: “I am just grateful for having a job, and I’ve always given my best in whatever field of work I am called to do.”
Hearing this man’s wisdom, which belied his age, I was jolted into reality. My entire weekend was upbeat. And I went out of my way to find this kind of insight from others.
Lean financial times can bring out the best in us. If for nothing else, we tend to become a lot more grateful, and we hardly take things for granted like in years past. We become a lot more creative and resourceful, too.
In my quest to find meaning in chaos, I thought about the former architect who became a chef and converted an RV into a state-the-art mobile restaurant in Seattle a month ago.
On long drives, my boys and I used to play license plate games by making up words with the letters. But as I drive about the place these days, I find myself saying, “check out that big old dent!” “Did you spot that busted bumper?” Or simply, “Here goes another one!”
Is it just me or is it a sign of the times? Not since I visited Cleveland, Ohio, in the mid-1980s have I seen so many battered automobiles on the road in our state. This list of beaten-up autos includes Hummer, Benz, Escalade, and other top-named brands. Cleveland’s alibi was that the region’s dreaded winter called for salt to melt its snow, which over time brought corrosion on vehicles.
By no means do I intend for this observation to be a joke. Far from it. These are some tough times for many families.
When I spoke to the mechanic about my observation, he opined that many people have been doing a lot more do-it-yourself jobs, like oil changes, on their vehicles. As a result, there are no more long lines for service.
Some of them refuse to report an accident, fearing that their premium would increase; thus, suffering in silence. Still others received insurance payments to repair a damage, but used the money instead to make up the rent, mortgage, or to buy food.
It is a sight to behold in seeing how creative some people can get whenever they’re at their wit’s end. When no money is available to replace car windows, then plastic will do the job.
We ought to be reminded that tough times never last; tough people do. Ralph Marston said it best:
“There is always something valuable that you can create with your time, your thoughts and actions. In every moment, in every situation, there is something you can do to express life’s abundance.”
