At one time it was a brand new pickup truck. A retired man drove it off the lot and took it home to his small farm. It was a prize, a reward for years of hard work, a trophy from the sweat and tears spent in the past. This was a truck to be proud of. It took many trips through the man's watermelon fields, or down the road to the local cafe everyday. It even was nice enough to drive the man and his wife to church on Sundays. Yes, it was a good truck. The grandchildren would ooh and ahh over the shiny chrome, and fight over a chance to go to the sale barn with Grandpa. The finish was shiny; the vinyl seats were smooth and clean.
Fast forward several years. The man had a teenage grandson who greatly admired the truck. Even though it had already racked up many a mile, it had the ruggedness that a teen, who had just received his license, looked for in a first vehicle. It was now a trophy for a young man. But, it was also a lesson learned. The young man learned the value of a dollar and the rewards of paying off a debt early. It became a vehicle to haul the young man's mowing trailer and helped him establish a reputation of faithfulness and hard work. It was also the truck that he and his future wife dated in. Though old, it was a good and faithful truck. It now had a CD player, instead of the old 8 track. The young man also added cruise control. He put many miles on it travelling cross country to visit his future bride. Besides the many miles, the truck now held many memories.
The tired old truck still has a future. It has listened in on many discussions between that young man and his son as they dream about the future and one day fixing it up together. The young man knows the thrill of having a good truck when you are first driving and he wants that for his son.
The old truck no longer shines. The chrome has rusted. The steering wheel is now shiny with wear. The vinyl seats are now cracked and dull. The original owner has now retired to heaven. But the memories still remain.
Today, the tired old truck broke down. Working in 105 degree weather would cause any old timer to collapse. Fix it? Of course! This is a valuable family heirloom. Sorry, old friend, you're not ready for the truck graveyard, yet, we have plans for your future.............but you'll get that in a small town.
