The Why
Growing up in Allentown, PA, my parents instilled a hard work ethic at an early age. My mom worked long nights waitressing so she could raise my brother and I while dad worked during the day. Then during my middle school years, my mom went to college fulltime, rocked a 4.0 gpa and started a second career as an elementary school teacher. Oh, and never missed a game or event for me or my brother. My dad on the other hand ran, and then eventually owned, a new and used car part business that also employed a repair shop of mechanics and a u-pick-it junkyard. Despite working 6 or 7 days a week, my dad also never missed a game or event for my brother or I. Without even knowing it, work ethic ran deep in the family and still does to this day.
It was during the summers working for my dad that we learned what earning a dollar really meant. Many of the tasks we did were tough and demanded to see what you were made of at the end of the day. We still laugh that my dad gave us some crazy summer jobs that ended up being episodes in the show, Dirty Jobs by Mike Rowe. For example, we spent most of one summer going through a never-ending pile of tires that required the use of a specialized crusher to separate the metal from the rubber for recycling. Many of the wheels were so heavy after crushing them into a mangled triangle, that my older brother was the only one that was strong enough to throw them into a roll-off dumpster due to the high sides. And I can’t tell you how many large truck tires I would throw up into a tractor trailer, only to play dodge ball as the huge tires came flying back at me because my throw into the trailer came up a little short.
During those years, one of my favorite tough jobs was detailing cars. We’re not talking about a nice, newer car to detail either. The older and dirtier, the better. Our dad would occasionally buy cars from folks in the neighborhood he deemed re-sellable. Assuming the car ran well after a system check and tune-up, I would get the chance to add value to the car. Otherwise, make it shine! A pressure washer, an array of cleaning products, a strong vacuum, a few buckets of suds, lots of clean towels and a ton of elbow grease later, we would park the shinny beauty in the front of my dad’s business with a 4-sale sign. What an amazing feeling!
That feeling still exists today after getting my own cars properly cleaned. The feeling of accomplishment is so simple and rewarding that it’s addictive. Luckily my bride of 20+ years has an appreciation for properly cleaned vehicles as she comes from a similar line of strong work ethic in caring for cars so they last long and look great. My father-in-law still owns an antique GMC Jimmy that is still spotless. In fact, when we were freshly married in southern CA, our weekend morning “dates” would consist of a visit to Starbucks and driving both our cars down to the quarter wash for a weekly proper cleaning. Romantic, indeed.
So here I am 30+ years after making old beaters shine for my dad that I realize that I want to instill a similar work ethic and passion for my kids, and hopefully many other teens in the neighborhood looking to earn some money. Maybe none of my kids will get the same fulfillment I do or maybe they all will. Regardless of their eventual passions, I want to engrain work ethic and financial acumen at an early age without them even realizing what’s happening. And in order to do that, I’ll need a few of your cars to make them shine.
Thank you for your trust and support.
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