Meaningful compliment

[JimS]

I work on my truck, whether it's doing custom work or detailing, because I like doing it. But, it is nice to get compliments and have people appreciate my efforts.

Today I got a compliment from a source that surprised me and after I thought about it really made me feel good.

I was in the garage putting another coat of EX on the truck and my paper girl, maybe 12 years old and her little sister, looked to be about 7, came walking up the drive looking quite shy and hesitant about coming up to me. I stepped out of the garage and made sure I smiled at them so they wouldn't feel intimidated. They said they came all the way up the drive to give me my paper but they immediately started asking me about the truck. What kind of truck is it....where did you get such a cool looking truck?

I explained some of the changes I've made and that it was a normal truck when I bought it etc. and they followed with yet more questions and compliments about it's looks.

Later I realized that if two little girls would bother to come all the way up the drive and face their fears of talking to some old guy then I must have done something right in my work on the Silverado. Pretty neat.

[bretfraz]

Cool story

Ya know, sometimes its little things like someone being nice to a kid that puts them on a path that could lead to a future career or hobby.

When I was the same age as those girls I was fascinated with big rigs. In general the truckers were real nice to me and let me ask a million questions and climb all over everything. One owner-operator who lived in my neighborhood let me help him clean his rig when he'd come back from the road, essentially creating the path for my interest in detailing which remains today.

All it takes to make a difference is one adult showing an interest in one kid, regardless of what the topic or subject is. I agree, pretty neat.

[Brad B.]

And by the same token, it could very well be one of those little special "moments" that stick in the heads of those little girls for a long time. That's cool.

It's seemingly insignificant instances like that which somehow seem to really make a difference in peoples lives.

And you're no longer the "old guy". Now your the "cool man with the pretty truck!

[Luster]

That is AWESOME.....

For me, it's always the teenage boys. (I have 3 teenage sons and they have about 30 friends!)....

They are constantly asking me if they can go look at my car....or look under the hood...or sit in it...

Makes you feel good that they think its cool!


(at least they're not asking me to drive it!)

[Deanski]

Way cool that they gave you a thumbs up!

Yea, I have several young kids, mostly boys in our condo area and always comment on the SC430.

One keeps saying " Man, you REALLY love that car huh?"

Reply, Yes I do!

They love to check out what I'm doing next, ask questions etc.

One of them that has a pretty nice bike and I offered to "detail" the bike. New found work from a true Autopian.

Well, after polishing it with the PC and some 3M PIII-MG, cleaned it off and applied what was left of some ZFX/Z5.

Looks real nice, polished the handlebars and even dressed the tires and polished the rims.

He now has the hottest looking bike around!

Now I can see the rest of them lining up for a detail


Good bunch of kids, and always look after my SC430!

Regards,
Deanski

[Poorboy]

Great story Jim

[Luster]

One of my sons friends asked me to Zaino his basketball shoes!

(They used to call it "Patent Leather". I'm sure there's some new, hi-tech term for it now...)

Anyway........THEY LOOKED GREAT after a little Z2/Z6.

(Made him really fast!)

I heard him saying, after the Zaino..."Your Dad ROCKS!".

[Scott P]

The compliment I like to get is when someone says "That' a 98? I thought it was new." when talking about my Grand Prix. I can see all of the little defects, but being Autopian, my eye is a little more critical...

Yah, back when I had my 91 black MR2 turbo, a coworker in 98 asked if it was was new. . .I was like, no it's 9 years old! That's a good compliment!

My uncle lives in your town, JimS. . .

of your car. . .

[JimS]

Pics.....yeah I know.....I need to get some posted,,,,puter challanged am I.

Uncle huh?! We might be acquainted. PM me if you care to pass his name along. We might be related