Restoring my faith in young adults..

lendaddy · 03-26-2009, 05:56 AM

About a month ago I hear a crash out front and I rush out to look. There is an older Saturn in my driveway and the side is ripped open (they are plastic after all).

A frail art student type college kid (we live a mile from campus) comes out and looks pretty shaken but he's perfectly fine. The damage is limited to the cosmetics of the side panel and the rear wheel is taco-ed (hit hit the guard rail on our curve).

I calm him down and tell him we all make mistakes and this won't be his last (no he wasn't drunk) as he was pretty hard on himself about it. I showed him that the car would be fine if he could deal with the cosmetic issues. He asked if he could use my phone to call a tow truck and I told him he didn't need one. "I can drive it like that? The rear tire is ripped off." I then introduced him to the spare tire which he honestly hadn't thought of (did I mention art student?

). I proceed to swap the tire with my cordless impact, high-lift speed jack and torqued the lugs in 5 minutes. I told him about a junk yard near campus where he could get a new wheel and possibly some panels. His spare was the doughnut and I jokingly told him not to be "that guy" that drives around on it for weeks. The kid was very impressed and thankful and was feeling much better when he left realizing it wasn't the end of the world.

Yesterday I find a letter in my front door:

[front text] Some things touch us in a special way, like a warm smile, a friendly word, an act of kindness. You bring that special touch to all you do....[front text]

[inside]Hey! You helped me out when I got into an accident in front of your house one Sunday night about a month ago. I just wanted to make sure such an act of kindness did not go without recognition and true thanks. It was a very scary time for me, and a strangers kindness helped me through it.

Thank You![inside]

Good kid.

onewhippedpuppy · 03-26-2009, 06:04 AM

It was probably a school assignment.

Isn't it a tradition that each successive generation thinks that the youth of America are no-good, do-nothing, liberal worthless SOBs? PARF diversion: but judging by the way Washington is headed, they might have been right about the baby boomers.

kaisen · 03-26-2009, 06:06 AM

Good parenting, obviously

KFC911 · 03-26-2009, 06:06 AM

Good kid...good Lendaddy too

. I do believe in karma and I also know a bunch of teens & twentysomethings that are my friends' kids, and fortunately our future isn't totally in the hands of the "headline makers".

Rikao4 · 03-26-2009, 06:08 AM

well done..
pay it forward..

Rika

cgarr · cgarr's Garage

GVSU Kid?

They let us AutoX in their lots!

rammstein · 03-26-2009, 06:39 AM

Stuff like that means a lot to me.

Porsche_monkey · 03-26-2009, 06:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lendaddy

A frail art student

Redundant.

lendaddy · 07:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cgarr

GVSU Kid?

They let us AutoX in their lots!

Yep GVSU, great campus!

Anyway, I was just impressed with the manners. Since I've been unemployed these last few weeks, I've been taking my boys to school. I cannot believe how rude and mannerless the mothers there are. I hold doors, pick up dropped items, snag wayward kids, etc... and almost never get a thank you. Don't get me started on the parking lot thoughtlessness (I park a block away now and walk the boys in). I teach my boys manners are very important and I hate that these mothers are basically teaching their children to be pricks.

Heel n Toe · 03-26-2009, 07:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lendaddy

The kid was very impressed and thankful and was feeling much better when he left realizing it wasn't the end of the world.

You know, that's a heartwarming story and all, but you missed a golden opportunity to become an icon in your neighborhood.

"Get that P.O.S. car off my driveway, punk."

Gogar · 03-26-2009, 08:45 AM

Now, if there had been a Morton's Gift card in there somewhere, he would have been a good kid.

CJFusco · CJFusco's Garage

There are a lot of lessons to be learned here, but one of the most important - one that can never be over-emphasized - is "life is 10% what happens to you and 90% what you do about it."

Z-man · Z-man's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by lendaddy

[inside]Hey! You helped me out when I got into an accident in front of your house one Sunday night about a month ago. I just wanted to make sure such an act of kindness did not go without recognition and true thanks. It was a very scary time for me, and a strangers kindness helped me through it.

Thank You![inside]

Good kid.

Definately not an English major -- it should read "...and a stranger's kindness helped me through it..."

All joking aside, thanks for sharing that - there is some hope for the future...

-Z

nostatic · nostatic's Garage

Your Saturn is now part of an art project. Congratulations.

As for frail art student, not all of them qualify. This one was a "student" at Art Center many years back. Calling her "frail" might get you more than you bargained for

911boost · 911boost's Garage

Good Job Len, and good for the kid.

I have found as well that they are still decent young adults.

nostatic · nostatic's Garage

I have spent a fair amount of time talking with currently serving Army and Marines recently. I have plenty of faith in young adults. It is the "old adult" politicians that are whack...

Jim Richards · 03-26-2009, 01:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nostatic

As for frail art student, not all of them qualify. This one was a "student" at Art Center many years back. Calling her "frail" might get you more than you bargained for

meh. she's pointing it in the wrong direction.

Dottore · 03-26-2009, 04:11 PM

I have always been fond of young adults.

Zeke · 03-26-2009, 04:17 PM

It took him a month to write? Average kid.

DasBoot · 03-26-2009, 04:20 PM

A teen-something kid urinated on my mailbox post today while delivering phone books.

Seems to be a disproportionate # of loser-kids vs. good kids these days.