often the best news doesn't make the news

​It was 7:30 AM Friday morning. Only - it did not FEEL like Fridaaaay!!

I walked into my local tire store for my appointment. I was about to spend time and money - both I was short on - getting new tires put on my car. Let the weekend begin. 🙄

The young lady behind the counter was kind - and efficient - and clearly interested in making my day feel as fridayish as possible. My mood started trending toward the good.

One of the young lady's co-workers came in. He disappeared into a small office nearby. I heard him shout out, "hey, do you want me to fix you a drink?"

I paused a moment, then yelled, sure - it's 5 o'clock somewhere....😊

He poked his head out of the office. The young lady was grinning. Her co-worker quickly explained, oh - we have different kinds of coffee back here - expressos and lattes and just coffee. So I never ask her if she want's coffee; I just let her tell me what kind of drink she wants.

I told him, hey - you do you buddy. I just want whoever is changing my tires to go easy on the drinks. He assured me those folks were doing NO drinking.

Yet, he added...

A man walks hurriedly through the door. He looks like Friday ain't going so Fridaaaay! for him either. He asks the young lady behind the counter, can you put a new tire on my car this morning? I just had a flat on the interstate.

She explained to him that they don't keep tires in stock, they order them by appointment. But - she said - I could have one here this afternoon.

He told her he was in a bit of a bind, and needed it sooner than that.

The young lady moved to her computer and told him she'd find him someplace. In a matter of moments she had a list of competitors, their phone numbers, and told the man which ones would likely take care of him first.

I just stared at her. Who does that - with all that smile. And then him.

He thanked her. Told her it had been quite the morning.

He said his flat happened in the busy morning traffic on the interstate. There was a pile of debris in his lane. He said he had to pull over in a tight spot and it made him nervous.

Really nervous.

But, he said, soon after he got out of his car a big truck pulled up behind him. The truck put its hazard lights on. This truck was ten times bigger than his car and made quite the shield. You could feel his relief as he told the story.

Then, he said, a veteran got out of the truck. Only, it was apparent he wasn't a veteran because he had his uniform on. "The guy approaches me and tells me he's got it. Then he just goes about changing my tire for me."

The guy parks his truck behind me and changes my tire, he repeats, sort of in his own 'who does that' voice. "You won't hear about that on the evening news tonight," he said.

Then added, "but we should."

I was sitting last night watching the evening news. The first stories were about a war, a pandemic, a protest and a kidnapping. And I thought, you're right, we're not going to here about that on the news tonight.

But we should.

Some of the best news happens on a Friday morning in the local tire store. You don't always here about it. But it's there. And it's the perfect way to start a weekend.