29 Comments
User's avatar
Merle Hall's avatar

Relatedly, Friday's post on another site I follow: https://www.devineescapes.com/be-gentle/

Reminded me of your muffler situation response.

Hope you're feeling better!

Expand full comment
Emily Lupita's avatar

A gorgeous story of humanity at its best. It took me back home to the Midwest for a few precious moments…thank you. I needed this moment. 🦋

Expand full comment
Louise Amburn's avatar

I love the humanity in that story! We need to hear this and more like it right now. Thank you!

Expand full comment
Dianne Prichard's avatar

Good tears for these old dry eyes.

Expand full comment
Marcel Harmon's avatar

Loved it as much as the first time I read it, Bob. Hope your sinus infection is better.

Expand full comment
Artis Reis, Former Judge's avatar

Thank you so much for re-posting this. It reminds me of growing up in small town Iowa with parents who cared about family and neighbors. It also reminds me of friends who never said no to a request to use their pickup and the times when we all packed in the back of an uncle's pickup to ride down a gravel road. 😁😁

Expand full comment
Tim Grover's avatar

Great writing Bob! I think once a guy owns a truck...he'll keep owning one! :)

Expand full comment
Kent Zimmerman's avatar

Heart warming story.

Expand full comment
demfarmer demfarmer's avatar

This is the America I know and love. What the hell happened?

Expand full comment
Arlen Eichmann's avatar

My dad was a mechanic at a Buick dealership all of his life after WWII. He was a hard ass staunch Republican. Yet he would help many family members and people with no money all the time with their car issues. I can relate to a lot of what you wrote. Great piece!

Expand full comment
Thomas Downs's avatar

I think I would have really liked your dad. Enjoyed the article. Hope your sinus infection clears up BUT would enjoy reading another rendition of one of your favorite earlier columns.

Expand full comment
Robert Leonard's avatar

thanks Thomas!

Expand full comment
Kevin Alexander's avatar

What a beautiful story, robert! And you're right; pickups don't belong to us, they belong to humanity. I hope you feel better ASAP!

Expand full comment
Ed's avatar

WOW -- what a wonderful repost on a Sunday morning!

These types of posts give me some hope that America can survive and grow.

We will know more by the morning of November 6th (BTW -- this is not a political endorsement; we have 2 candidates with vastly different views of how America should be)!

Go vote!

Expand full comment
Connie Taylor's avatar

This story touched my heart for many reasons. What a great gift you gave to that family without even knowing it. I think (hope) that happens more often than we know. Thanks for the gift of this story, Bob. Feel better....

Expand full comment
Susan Yonger's avatar

I love your stories. I hope they warmed your heart remembering them. I’m having trouble writing because of the tears in my eyes.

I always wanted a truck because I was a farm girl. But I moved to town, didn’t need one, so it wasn’t practical.

Expand full comment
Helen Boertje's avatar

Great way to begin another relatively quiet day for a woman who used to be very active in many ways.I was raised by two parents who helped lots of people that others ignored. What we have in common at our respective ages is that our backgrounds enabled us to continue to look for ways to make others lives better. Hope you soon recover your strength.

Expand full comment