Fast, you asked how I got my start......

[ebfabman]

Did you ever read this?


you have to be rich to work on old trucks?
This is my can of beans. I've had it for a long time. it reprsents somewhat of a starting point.
Many years ago (early eighties) after going through some of what I thought were hard times, like bad relationships, dropping out of school, getting into debt, failed business ventures, coming to terms with having no parents to go to, and not a penny's worth of credit anywhere. I got to a low spot. I decided to try again, all I had left to build on was some pride, and a few tools I had been able to replace after getting them all ripped off months before.
Started looking around and found this old abandoned car wash for rent. it was in very bad condition the roof was about to fall in and all the equipment was falling down from rust.
I went to the owner and made a deal with him to rent it to me for a year and I would fix it up and keep the city off him in exchange for rent. The deal was made.
The next thing I did was go over to the local body shop supply and spend the last few dollars I had to buy masking paper, tape, primer, and sand paper.
Now, out of money, nowhere to go but an old dingy roof leaking car wash, I started doing body work for food and materials money.
The manager of a big tree trimming outfit approached me about fixing some of their trucks someone had torn up stealing equipment from. He said they would supply the parts and materials and all I had to do was do all the repairs and repaint them. This was a big job so take it right? one catch, 90 day pay. Ok so I take the job fixing the trucks. About a week later they were finished. Now winter is setting in and no work coming in (or money) I had to rely on friends to feed me. Well even a good body man can wear out his welcome. As the weeks rolled by, it got colder in that leaky dingy shop ( I slept on an old army cot in the shop)
Expecting any day now I would be getting that check from the tree trimming outfit, I was at a very low point. No money, no food, and very hungry. I went over to the new self serve car wash late one night and dug through the trash cans (you know how people empty their ash trays in the trash cans and sometimes they will throw away some pennies too)I collected 29 cents,went to the store and bought that can of beans. I was so weak and tired when I got back to the shop I didn't open it, I just crawled on that old cot and went to sleep.
The next morning even more hungry, It had been 2 days since my last meal, I got an old screw driver and that can of beans and got ready to open it, when the mailman walks in the door with the check from the tree trimming company.
From that point I never looked back, but I'll always have this can of beans and I'll always remember what that can of beans represents
I have been blessed with many things in my life so far.
Rich, no, not money wise anyway.