straight talk

The $99.00 Brake Job and “ME“.



Posted: Thursday, November 23, 2006

by

Well I’m sure many of us have had to have their brakes fixed from time to time. I’m also pretty sure we have looked around [that is those of us average Americans who are finding it hard to even survive in this great economy the wealthy talk about] for a discount or a lower cost. Well in my case I even had a discount card and a cash card from a local repair shop so I figured I would give them a try.

Well I pulled in their shop with the car running fine and my expecting that their $99.00 job would cost me more but when i got the estimate I was in shock. It is just a fact of life. Little did I realize it would cost me over $700.00 and I would leave with another problem?

Well I’m also sure many of us have been in this position where it is he said she said. But the fact is I didn’t have the problem when I pulled in and according to them its coincidence that it just happened after I pulled in my driveway. I can accept that as a possibility. Also, I live just a total of only three miles away from that repair shop. Now as a person who must be non- judgmental I guess it can be that this item just happened to fail. The fact that got me worried was when I went for a cup of coffee and the waitress said she had a bad experience with that shop. Well too bad I didn’t see her before I went in. [PS: a crack was supposedly found at the bottom of the holding tank. Could it happen with failure - yes, could it happen with a tap- yes. The bottom line fix it and move on again.

Then again it is awfully questionable that it just happened right after they worked on the car? But the jest of this is not really that because in my opinion it goes across the board to the philosophy and the morals and ethics of society and business today. Perhaps theyw ere innocent, perhaps not?

Now it could just be that cloud people says always follow me around? It could be God testing me, as the religious would say. It could be that I’m overlooked as the Italians and Latin’s will say? It could be that God has cursed our family for 7 generations and it could be sin. However, we are all sinners so I wonder why some get cursed and some don’t? I guess they are righteous and I’m not?

That all aside I really think it is because it speaks to what we are as humans. It speaks to the values of society when we can use four letter words as casually as we speak; it speaks to honesty, integrity and what we say we are.

Now once again, it could just be coincidence but I have had more then my fair share of rotten experiences. That is based on the fact that the bills come on time but the service provided is sub par. It is based on the arrogance of people who call you night and day to collect $25.00 and you have talked to them 5 times and sent a payment and they stillc all you. It is about a government who condones that type of harassment. It is about politicians who place other nations above their own citizens, deny such that which they give illegal people even while they have taken an oath before God.

It is about pastors and religious who abuse innocent children, who condone breaking of civil law, who ignore, lie and omit to achieve an agenda or goal.

So the $99.00 Brake Jobs just speaks to a host of problems in this nation. They are trust, integrity, honesty, values and character. It speaks to a decending darkness and culture gone astray. It speaks to the true values of our society today - ME! It talks to greed, exploitation, abuse and all the other negatives that are committed each day in the name of good and decency and sadly as professed religious of all faiths.

Frankly, another man said quite well when he said asked when is it going to be about WE instead of ME?

Sadly, only when the time comes that a true change will be made. In my opinion that darkness will grow even darker as the days go past.

The scoffers, abusers, the cheats, the connivers, the greedy the exploiters will certainly have their day. It is a day for all the ME’s of the world. Certainly, I need to get myself to understand that WE are all the same and start changing toward that end. Only WE can do this together. If WE remain the Me there is no hope!

Robert T. Melaccio Sr. 2006 Copyright ©2006 Robert Melaccio





Robert Melaccio Sr. has worked in the computer industry for 40 plus years in a diversified business and managerial environments. He enjoys freelance writing, giving seminars for young adults and teen groups as well as being an accomplished award winning poet of published poetry. He has worked teaching and as a youth minister. He is married and has three children and three grandchildren.

This Article has been viewed 173 times. (Not updated in real-time.)
No comments yet.
We want your comments! If you can read this, you don't have javascript enabled, so you can't use this comment system. Please enable javascript.