VIR Group,
First off, I owe a whole bunch of you guys a big thank you. In fact, it's
such a big thank you, I don't know quite know how to put it all together.
Seldom (if ever) have I been welcomed into a group of like-minded friends as
you FOTers at VIR. So, please just let "Thank You" suffice, okay?
After diagnosing my problem as a broken crankshaft, I called AAA to
negotiate a tow truck to Atlanta. Somehow I simply couldn't communicate my
rather unique problem to the dispatcher. So I got out the Danville Yellow
Pages. By chance, I picked Charles Gentry and gave him a call. This guy
listens to my tale of woe: broken sports car at the track, trailer, spare
tires and motorcycle and says, "No problem. What time do you want to me to
meet you?" I hear nothing but the engaging clarity of a positive attitude.
Oh, yeah. He also made it very clear that the fare was $2.50/mile. Atlanta
is 400 miles south, so it doesn't take a calculator to come up with a tow
estimate. Yes, that's $1000.00! There were a number of other options
available, ranging from calling Atlanta for a friend (and I could not think
of one dumb enough to come get me and the car) to going back to Atl on the
motorcycle and bringing back a trailer. Sometimes you just gotta bite the
bullet and pay the fare!
The next day, Charles helps me load up and we're on the road at 8:30
Saturday morning.
In the truck it's an eight hour drive to Atlanta and I have to tell you that
this time is spent in as engaging a discussion of just about everything we
can think of in the world. Charles told me about nearly drowning and turning
back to his childhood religion. And I told him about the time I flew a
Mooney through a thunderstorm and came out with nothing but simple
wonderment. We talked cars, motorcycles, errant and achieving children. I
told him how I thought he ought to set up an LLC to care for a bunch of cars
for a wealthy friend of his and he told me that I ought to give a little
more attention to my eternal spirit. He said it the right way.
We also talked about how my "misfortune" in blowing my motor was his "good
fortune." It came at a time when a little cash money was very welcome. I
cannot explain why, but the serendipity of all this just made me feel
absolutely fine. There was no charity in this thing either way; just a
circumstance that brought two men of good will and like minds together to
solve a couple of not very important problems. There is no question that we
both profited by the circumstance of my broken crank considerably.
When we unloaded all my stuff at my shop, I asked Charles to come up into my
architectural office. I wrote a little note on the leaf of a copy of "The
Lost Squadron" and gave it to him as a gesture of friendship. You would have
thought I had given him an original Guttenberg Bible. He even held it with
both hands!
When I was counting out the money to settle the bill with him, I proposed
that I add on a little bonus. But Charles said, "No, I'd be proud to knock
off some of this bill if you don't mind." That's a tough decision.really.
Right or wrong I said, "I'm proud you feel that way. Thank you very much."
And I paid him the $1000.
We shook hands and Charles drove back to Danville that night. I know because
I called the next day. Just to be sure he made it okay.
Now I have to ask you FOTers, how lucky can a guy get? Just suppose that I
had not blown my engine, had to stay for all those trophies I surely would
have won, and then had to drive back in that uncomfortable little Triumph,
alone, through those rainstorms in the middle of the night as I usually do
(well, I don't always get all those trophies, of course.). As far as I can
tell, it was an adventure that was just about as good as it gets. I guess
that I'm just lucky.
Richard Taylor
TR-4 (w/grave internal organ problems)
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