you never really know anybody but yourself
Finding a good, honest mechanic is invaluable.
For a long time, when we lived on the other side of town, there was a garage we always took our cars to. No matter what had to be done, we took them to one guy. He ran a very honest shop. He was very good at what he did. He wasn't open on weekends, and when I asked him why, he said, "Because I don't have to be." I get all the business I can handle during the week." He started to expand, at one point having three separate garages, but ultimately closed down the extras, because he wasn't happy with the quality of people he could find to staff them. In the end, there was only the one. That's where I left him about 5 years ago. We moved too far away to make him convenient, especially with the no weekend thing. I had to find other ways to take care of the vehicles. But he was overflowing in business and I referred everyone I knew to him. My mother-in-law drove her car 90 miles down from Georgia to go to his shop. He was that good.
This morning I hear about a robbery/assault case in town in the radio news broadcast. A guy who owns a go-cart racing store was beaten up. Three guys broke into his store Monday night and attacked him. The perpetrators were caught, and the guy knew them. Some were competitors. He looked at one and pretty much said, "Dude, you have a wife and three kids. What the hell are you doing here?" They name the guys they arrested, and one of the names is my old garage guy. I can't be sure it's the same guy. I suppose there can be more than one person with the same name, but the last name wasn't something very common, like 'Smith'. When I saw him 5 years ago, he was married with two little girls. Maybe a third came along. It all seems like it could fit together, but damn, this guy struck me as one of the most honest people I knew. If it is him, I'll be very surprised, but it would prove....the person you know best is you, and sometimes you don't even know them all that well. Other people, you never really know for sure.
Late Breaking edit: A guy I work with who, also took his car to the same mechanic and swore by him for years, saw the story on the late news last night, and they showed mug shots. It's our garage guy! There has to be more to this story, but I doubt I'll ever get all of it.
For a long time, when we lived on the other side of town, there was a garage we always took our cars to. No matter what had to be done, we took them to one guy. He ran a very honest shop. He was very good at what he did. He wasn't open on weekends, and when I asked him why, he said, "Because I don't have to be." I get all the business I can handle during the week." He started to expand, at one point having three separate garages, but ultimately closed down the extras, because he wasn't happy with the quality of people he could find to staff them. In the end, there was only the one. That's where I left him about 5 years ago. We moved too far away to make him convenient, especially with the no weekend thing. I had to find other ways to take care of the vehicles. But he was overflowing in business and I referred everyone I knew to him. My mother-in-law drove her car 90 miles down from Georgia to go to his shop. He was that good.
This morning I hear about a robbery/assault case in town in the radio news broadcast. A guy who owns a go-cart racing store was beaten up. Three guys broke into his store Monday night and attacked him. The perpetrators were caught, and the guy knew them. Some were competitors. He looked at one and pretty much said, "Dude, you have a wife and three kids. What the hell are you doing here?" They name the guys they arrested, and one of the names is my old garage guy. I can't be sure it's the same guy. I suppose there can be more than one person with the same name, but the last name wasn't something very common, like 'Smith'. When I saw him 5 years ago, he was married with two little girls. Maybe a third came along. It all seems like it could fit together, but damn, this guy struck me as one of the most honest people I knew. If it is him, I'll be very surprised, but it would prove....the person you know best is you, and sometimes you don't even know them all that well. Other people, you never really know for sure.
Late Breaking edit: A guy I work with who, also took his car to the same mechanic and swore by him for years, saw the story on the late news last night, and they showed mug shots. It's our garage guy! There has to be more to this story, but I doubt I'll ever get all of it.
John put this out here at 8:40 AM
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