Throughout our lives we collect in our memory banks many outstanding events. As we know some stories stand out more than others. As we reflect on these short stories now is a good time to catalogue them for our living legacy. You may want to tell them as a group of stories as a video book all on its own. We may think of childhood experiences such as a memorable trip jammed in the back of your parent’s car that never seemed to end. You may want to discuss an experience you had with a friend doing any kind of event. A family member story or something you did simply by yourself. I recall many humorous stories I wish to share. As an example, I will share with you one of mine.
My future wife always wanted a particular car. So when we got married I bought her the dream car, a1965 Plymouth Barracuda. She was so happy with it. Then one day I got that call no husband wants to hear. “Dick, something happened to my car”. The first thing that came to my mind was exactly what happened. It was in an accident. Not she, but the car had an accident. Someone pulled in front of her and it was a total wreck, to no fault of her own. To my amazement she wanted her baby to be towed home in front of the garage as a constant reminder to go fix it. Her famous words were that still rings out in my ears today. “DICK, YOU CAN DO IT”. I said “what”? “You can fix it”. I was reminded each day looking at the car with two crushed fenders, bumpers, buckled hood, and front end bent like is was looking south to the junk yard, and the engine at an unusual angle. One day the sound of a sledgehammer fills the air, and I am doing the impossible dream, one wack at a time. The Barracuda now naked of its front end with only the engine looking at me with all parts in a pile including the air conditioner parts and pieces of a radiator.” Now what do I do?” I said. She said, “Lets head to a junkyard in Milwaukee and see what we can find”. The car was out of date and chances were slim we would even find a part or two. As we are lost in the big city looking for the junkyard driving in circles for over a half hour, my wife says, “Look What’s along side of us!” I couldn’t believe my eyes, there is, hanging on a hook at the back a wrecker a 1995 Plymouth Barracuda painted in many odd colors swinging in the breeze. I asked, Where are you going with that thing?” not wanting to sound too desperate. The guy in the wrecker looks at me and says, “Hey Dick, didn’t we go to high school together? I exclaimed,” Yes we did!” He was two grades ahead of me and we had barely spoken a word together, but somehow there we were heading to the same place at the same. I told John my dilemma and he said, “Don’t worry I’ll take care of it. You can have the front end for ten bucks and I’ll bring the stuff home for you”. There we were, thirty-five dollars for the junk car from the insurance company, and ten from my school friend and I might have a possible car again. More sledging ahead, and somehow it all lined up, and I had it back together again. Painted it with white spray cans and wa-la. My wife went on to drive that old Barracuda for another two years, and somehow that car went straight down the road like it was following an arrow. Ever since when we have a project big or small, I hear her voice echo in my head from somewhere around me. “Dick, YOU CAN DO IT” and somehow it gets done. Share your story on video, you are worth it.