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Eddie

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The destination doesn't tell you how the road winds


TrampSteer

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I've been asked a lot of things by a lot of different people in my life. Giving advice, lending a hand, being politely asked to leave..., they are all generally of a similar class of requests such that not many are ever a surprise anymore. That was true most of my life until as of late. Now I'm getting surprised all the time. Here's some examples.

Looking for any and every excuse to drive my truck, I took my kids to a birthday/costume party. In a few minutes parents were asking for kids to pose in and on the truck. Why not?

BirthdayParty

A couple weeks later, again looking for an excuse to drive it, we used it to go to the local Chili Cook-off. It was pretty easy to just put the old slow cooker in the back and drive over. I stopped to drop off my entry and then went and parked. Within 30 minutes the organizers were looking for the owner of "that old black truck". They wanted to park it in the middle of the event for ambiance. Well, ambiance and picture poising. So many people wanted to crawl in and out of it, my view was obscured more than once.

ChiliCookoff

The wife bought a new mattress and box spring from Sears but refused to pay the $80 delivery charge. She was going to bring it home on the top of the Ford Escape. I mentioned that I had a truck which she had not considered. Not sure why she didn't - too "special?". We laughed.

So we drove down to the outlet, tied the new items up and headed home. Near home I was trying to make a lane change but was blocked by some lady in a car. She kept matching my speed! I finally just decided to turn right. She ducked in behind us and followed. I remarked to the wife that if she pulled along side that the truck was $17,5k firm. We laughed and turned left. The lady followed.

A couple of stop signs later, the car behind us pulled up and waved for my wife's attention. Seems she was getting married Saturday and wanted to be taken to the church and reception in my truck. My dirty, old, smells like gas, farm truck. If you would have seen her smile, heard her excitement, you wouldn't have said no either.

MariselaYErnesto

What to charge her got me thinking about one of 48Dodger's blog posts. The question was about being able to put a proper the price on our parts or services. I was struggling with that and it took me a while to come up with a clear answer for myself.

In the end I didn't charge her a penny. Couldn't really. There was no price on a blushing bride, clearly happy about going to her wedding in an old farm truck. There was no payment large enough for the looks on people's faces, the thumbs up, as we passed them on the way to the church. You certainly could never have found enough of any payment of any kind for the entire church gathering's collective look as we drove off with the newlyweds in the front cab.

I got paid with this story. With smiles. Good feelings all around. I'm lucky enough to be in a position to make some people happy.

Whether you know it or not Tim, you do the same thing for a lot of people here. Did for me.

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This is the real reward of our old car hobby. It's not about us restoring and polishing up the metal to show off for ourselves so much as it is about putting a shine on the dreams of others.

 

Congratulations Trampsteer. we don't get to make wishes come true every day like that. :)

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Awesome Mike.....what an incredible feeling to know that parts that were sitting around my yard just last year, helped get a bride to the church on time....great story. :) 

 

Tim aka 48D

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Yes.........I can relate.  Our convertible has been used in three different weddings......the first was a young man and his bride...... then a few years later his sister and her groom..........plus another  young lady from our church,  No charge, of course......but there were lots of smiles. 

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Excellent. My grand sons are 10 & 7 and I pick them up from school each Tuesday. I reckon I might get a few looks to when I get my Dodge Ambulance registered (soon I hope).

And the wedding, I agree. Just enjoy the good vibes of the occasion.

I do not know what it is like in the US but in Oz what newly weds spend on weddings in just stupid, then they complain about not having enough money for a deposit to but a house. Strange priorities.

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Great story of life's little "happenings"......as a hippie would put it. Which I'm not. Our trucks are one of those things that take everyone "back in time". When life moved slower and was not of the current "warp speed" look at life. I get to drive the old Dodge trucks almost every day....my new one being a WWII WC-53 that has been updated with diesel power.......BUT! still has the original axles with 4:89 gears. Which still means....I'd get run over on the freeway. So, its still just an "around town" transportation......even though it looks TOUGH!! Everyone always asks.......even my friends....How fast will it go? I always say "as fast as you want it to go.....................as long as its under 60mph". I laugh. I always mention to them......in an analogy. I've been a power boater as well, and we all know there are two types of boaters......Power boaters and Sail boaters. For one....the destination is the important part of the adventure. For the other.....its the journey.

Have a blessed day......and keep your powder dry!

David

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