"Changed By A Tire"

A Weekly Journal of Toastmasters International-Philippines

The steering wheel jerked. I tried to keep the car in control. That night in Chicago a flat tire changed me. I pulled in the nearby gas-station and in the bright lights, parked on a slope, leading to a busy street.

Have you ever done something stupid?

I broke the first rule of changing a tire — choose a leveled spot. Friends, in Chicago, there aren't that many slopes. But that night, I found one.

Why do flat tires always happen when you are dressed up? Opened the trunk, excavated the jack — unused for centuries. Rusty piece of metal. I thought, I can handle it.

Loosen the nuts. Placed the jack down. Creeek, Creeek, Creeek… Half-hour to remove the tire

The only support in the front — the rusty jack. Back in the trunk I pulled out the spare tire, shook the entire car. I saw the car going downhill.

Bang!

The Jack collapsed. The car collapsed. My lungs collapsed. An inner voice said, "You are an Idiot." Then another voice, "Reach out!" Reach Out? I can handle it. Creeek, creeek, creeek… lifted the car almost enough. Bang!

If at first you don't succeed…Creeek, creeek, creeek…almost enough — bang!

The car had moved to a steeper slope. I grasped the gravity of the situation. The people at the bus stop approached the street were looking at me. I was giving a demonstration: How not to change a tire. Then that voice again, "Reach out!" Reach out? Should I wow them? Of course not.

Huh…That's not my car

In the Gas Station behind the counter stood a big man with a big smile. Badge read — Jessie. He said, "My friend, was your car doing pushups?" I told him I did something stupid, I asked him for help. We got out. Jessie looked at the car and said, "You are Right. That's stupid. Let me show you."

Creeeeek, Creeeeek, Creeeeek, Creeeeek, Creeeeek, Creeeeek, Creeeeek, Creeeeek, Creeeeek, Creeeeek, Creeeeek, Creeeeek, Creeeeek…

You never know who you going to find when you reach out. I found DJM — Distinguished Jack Master. Jessie helped me lift the car up. Rusty Foolish Hand shook Rusty Helping Hand.

That night, I stopped to change a tire. Instead the tire changed me. I used to believe that to reach out was weakness. I discovered my weakness was refusing to reach out. When you reach out you attract ideas that lift you up. When you reach out, you attract solutions that lift you up. When you reach out, to you attract friendships that lift you up.

Maybe you want a better voice, reach out to a singer. May be you want better writing, reach out to a writer. May be you want better tire changing skills? Reach out — to me. I will give you Jessie's number.

Is there something….collapsed in your life? Your knowledge may be limited, your skills may be rusty, but no doubt you will be changed, when you reach out.

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