How I Learned I Could Change Someone’s Life in An Instant
A chance encounter with a stranger taught me a key life lesson
One sunny afternoon last year, I took my car to the local car wash, completely unaware that this mundane task was about to take me on a cathartic journey that would stay with me forever. I’d gone to this particular car wash simply because it was the best one in the area. It was a mechanical system where your car would be treated by an employee first, after which you would then would drive it forward onto a conveyor belt that would pull it through the washing mechanism moving from station to station. Unlike most modern car wash systems, it did a pretty good job and was actually worth travelling a couple of miles to.
As usual, I parked up first, went inside and paid the cashier for the privilege of using it in the main petrol station, then drove round to the entrance to be greeted by whoever was on duty. As I approached on this particular day I was pleased to see that there was no queue. I’d be able to get the job done immediately and get on with my day. But as I got closer, the young man on duty started placing cones in front of the pre-wash area, thereby closing it off. Having been assured just moments earlier it was open, I was not pleased to see this.
