Early yesterday morning, before the light of day I was out and about getting some work done. The temperature was 25 degrees Fahrenheit, with a burning cold wind chill factor. I made one of my stops and on the way back to the car I noticed my right rear tire was almost flat. The metal part of the wheel was hovering about an inch over the concrete.
My fourteen year old son Avery was with me, so we pretended to be a pit crew at Talladega to see how fast we could change the tire and be back on the road. It was 4:32am. Ready---, get set--- go! I hit the trunk popper and Avery had the jack out and the car up in seconds. It was my job to set the park break and loosen the lug-nuts. I did my first job and as I looked in the trunk, realized I had taken the tire-tool/lug-nut wrench out and did not put is back. Oops!
We were near a retirement center so we went in to see if one of the over-night staffers had one we could borrow. I drive a GM car; they had a Honda and a Beetle.
I called woke my eldest child Ashley for some help. She said, "No problem." Avery went inside and laid down on a sofa in the lobby of the retirement center and fell asleep. After about 27 minutes, my daughter's car pulls up. My sweet wife steps out from behind the wheel sporting her new back brace (from her recent 360 degree spine surgery). We meet by the car and she hands me a rusty angled tire tool I don't really remember seeing before. I tried to use it, but it was too big.
We let Avery sleep while we headed back home. We were home in seven minutes and back at the scene of the flat in another eight. OK then, back to Talladega! At the house I grabbed the lug-nut wrench that's shaped like a big "plus" sign and spun them off in seconds.
The tire was flat because I ran over a giant blue screw.
I pulled the little "donut" spare tire out and threw the flat in the trunk. As I was replacing the tire, I couldn't help notice there was only about ten pounds of air pressure in the spare. Once again, letting Avery slumber, we got in the other car, drove a mile and a half to a Seven-Eleven to put some air in the spare. My wife went inside and returned with a cup of coffee for me. She stood over me. I was shivering on my knees next to the "free air" machine.
Princess Sherri smiled and gently said, "It's not what happens to you, it's what happens in you!" She knows it's one of my favorite John Maxwell quotes.
At 6:00am we returned a second time to the scene of the flat, I put the spare on, woke up my number three child and Sherri headed home. I drove about five blocks and the spare went flat again. I did not put enough air in it and it lost its seal around the rim. Fortunately we were near a car wash that had a strong air compressor and I was able pop the seal back into place, air up the tire and go on home safe and sound.
"It's not what happens to you, it's what happens in you!" ---John C. Maxwell
Do you have a favorite quote? What is it? Would you consider sharing it with me?