A Flat Tire and a Little Kindness
How a Nail and a Laugh Made Someones Day
Yesterday morning, I found myself camped out in the waiting room of a VW dealership—unplanned, of course—thanks to an uninvited nail that took up residence in my rear right tire. One second you’re cruising along, the next you’re in a VW service bay, sipping lukewarm coffee under canned lights illuminating that VW ‘Das Auto’ vibe, with Muzak playing in the background.
Misty, the customer service rep helping me, was kind and quick on her feet. But as we chatted about the tire and whether my lease might cover it, she turned toward a coworker seated behind her. He faced the opposite direction, as if already checked out from the day’s responsibilities.
“Jorge, do you know if the lease covers flat tires?” she asked.
Nothing.
“Jorge, do you know if the lease covers flat tires?” she asked again.
Barely audible and with a tone as flat as my tire: “Could be. I don’t know.”
She tried again: “Do you know where I could find the tire policy?”
Still unmoved: “Maybe in the computer. I don’t know.”
No blink. No turn of the head. Just that shrug of a voice.
Misty turned back and I noticed she rolled her eyes in that universal ‘you hearing this?’ look. I laughed, not out of cruelty, just at the absurd honesty of the moment. That laugh made her laugh too. Her shoulders dropped. Something softened. Her eyes brightened. Recognized.
“I’m in no hurry,” I told her.
“Oh good. So glad you understand,” she said, like I’d handed her a little sliver of grace.
She asked me if I would like to wait for the repair and I decided I would.
And as I sat there, waiting and watching their interaction continue to unfold, I started thinking about how we all move through the world. Sometimes, it takes so little to lighten someone else’s day with an honest laugh, a patient pause, and the willingness to let something be imperfect without needing to fix it right away. As a customer, I gave her space to maneuver, to solve what needed solving, to breathe. I could see it changed her interaction with her co-worker as well, as she extended patience in return, paying it forward.
We don’t always get to choose when or how the nails show up. But maybe we can choose how we wait, and who we offer a little kindness to along the way.
And in the end, when it was all over, Misty figured it out. The paperwork, the coverage, the mystery of the lease and the tire. It all came together.
She handed me my keys with a grin that said we made it, then thanked me for my kindness. Her acknowledgment surprised me and made me pause. Maybe, this simple recognition and kindness is what we should be practicing all along. For me, it’s a reminder to look for the good, even in the smallest exchanges.
Walking to my car, I caught a glimpse of the new electric ID Buzz camper van in the lot, all shiny green and white. It reminded me of the old Jenkins Bus, with its motto painted on the tailgate: ‘Love Is Progress; Hate Is Expensive.’ That moment summed up my day, reminding me that love is progress and kindness wins.
I drove home, a little lighter and one less nail than when I’d arrived.
-David
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