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.
Speaker - Author - Standup Comic
- Al Foxx
- United States
- Founder President,.....................................www.winnersdontquit.org----------Winners Don't Quit Association
3 comments:
So true, Al! Could we say, that it's impossible for a fully functioning individual to fully know the pressures of being disabled??? What do YOU think? Is that a true thought or am I stretching your point? You know, Al, that's one reason that we need friends. By having friends, we can bounce ideas& thoughts off each other. In that way, we can come to a more accurate synopsis. Right?
I agree that nobody knows about being disabled or about being too short or tall or pretty or ugly or bald or anything else until they've had that experience.
I think the most risky and potentially innaccurate thing a person can do is to compare their insides to someone else's outsides.
I know several able bodied people who look totally fine, but I would rather be paralyzed than have their troubles.
The best thing we can do is work hard and trust God to give us the circumstances we need.
Well put, Al! I really liked your concluding statement saying, "The best thing we can do is work hard & trust God to give us the circumstances we need." I personally feel that in taking that approach, we can't go wrong! We may still have challenges, but we can aquire strength to improve our condition & our attitude.
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