The Pressure's On...

I did everything I was supposed to do. I kept my car in perfect condition. The people who owned and worked in the original Bothell Tire and Automotive where I had all maintenance work done on my car got old and one by one they retired.

Unfortunately it took me a couple scheduled maintenances to realize the new owners were not exactly honest. Before I discovered this, however, they put on a new timing belt that was supposed to last for 60,000 miles.

What revealed to me that they were more interested in their bottom line than they were in doing good work for their customers was some unrelated work they did on my car. I don't remember what it was, but their oversight was so obvious that I went to another garage to have the work redone. At this second garage, I had the foresight to ask them to write up a note verifying the worthlessness of the work BTA did. I took this lettel to BTA and with all the politeness I could muster requested a refund.

Apparently I wasn't the only one to have a negative experience with BTA, as shortly after this I drove by and noticed the windows boarded up. As far as I was concerned, all was fine and well until the timing belt they put in broke well before it should have. Under ordinary circumstances, they would be liable, But with the business gone,who was going to make it right?

Luckily, I have an extended warranty that still covers the car. Relieved and patting myself on the back for being so well prepared, I called them. They're also out of business! I've had better days, but this one could've been way worse. Luckily I was sitting at a stop light when the belt broke and not speeding down the interstate. A new timing belt and water pump took a chunk out of my savings, but nothing like the chunk replacing the whole engine would've taken out. Thank you God. Gratitude feels good.

My first impulse is to get mad and resentful, but what's that going to help? Resenting someone or something hurts no one but me. Resenting someone is like sticking a fork in my eye and hoping someone else goes blind.

Cars are like people. There's no way to know how well they're put together and how they'll behave under pressure until pressure happens.

Love on the Bus

Love doesn't make the world go round, but it sure makes the ride worthwhile.
-- Franklin P. Jones

Wet stairs, a need to hurry, a half-paralyzed body and not looking where you’re going is a bad combination. I slipped. The back of my good leg skidded down the stairs; my paralyzed leg couldn’t hold me. I landed on my seat and bounced out the bus door, sprawling on the sidewalk.

Since I fell all the time, this was no big deal. I just got up and headed toward my next bus. At the next bus, a pretty woman, a little older than myself, plopped down beside me.

“I saw you fall,” she said. “When you got right back up and kept going, just like you hadn’t even fallen, i decided that, if I had the chance, I wanted to talk with you.”

I fell all the time, so I hadn’t even thought about it. But Kathryn noticing and wanting to talk to me just because I’d gotten back up and kept going made me feel good about myself.

We met on the bus two or three days a week for about a year or less. We got to know each other pretty well. I told her about my therapy and she told me she was going through a divorce and custody fight.

She had an entire world of problems I’d never dreamed of. Listening to her story and becoming interested in her circumstances helped me in four ways:

1. It helped me realize I wasn’t the only one with problems.
2. It helped me get my mind off my problems.
3. It helped me feel capable of helping her.
4. It helped me by giving me a friendship that has lasted for 20+ years.


That happened to be a long interaction, but creating a bond and feeling of camaraderie can happen much quicker. I've felt bonded to people when all there's been between us is an understanding smile, or maybe a few words of encouragement.


We all have opportunities to love and help other people. What keeps me helping others is remembering how good I feel when someone helps me.

Ready But Still Sorry?

Turns out the timing belt I replaced 37,000 miles ago broke. But I did all the maintenance I was supposed to do, so the extended warranty I bought should take care of it. But the warranty company went bankrupt! But they went to court and the warranties they sold are still being honored.

This is another boring post. But like I said, I'd rather be bored than sorry. But I am sorry. Yeah, but not as sorry as I'd be if I hadn't been ready.