Loyalty - A thing of the past?

I finally did it! I replaced the old worn out tires on my car with some brand spanking new ones. Whatever "brand spanking" new is...

I could have gone to any of the local tire shops that abound in my neighborhood and purchased tires, but I waited until I could travel the 20 miles to MY mechanic's shop to get them.

In spite of the convenience of online shopping, and the deals that the superstores advertise, I feel that the relationships I have developed over the years with people like Brent, my mechanic, are worth more than anything else.

I can get tires a dollar or two cheaper somewhere else, but I can follow Brent around the shop as he works on my car, and the others in the shop that day, and discuss important things like NASCAR, professional baseball, and racing engines.

As we wander around the shop, I can take in the sites and smells of a working garage - I can peer into the open hoods and check out the engine compartments, I can walk under the cars perched on the lifts and inspect their undersides, and best of all I can look through those gigantic tool chests at all the neat tools of the trade.

Besides working in a restaurant, working as a mechanic has always been one of those things I thought I might have enjoyed doing. This is the third shop Brent has owned or worked at since my wife and I met him. As he has moved, we have followed him. We trust him with our vehicles.

Of course, I still take into consideration getting a good value for my shrinking dollar, but that usually comes along with the kind of people I have been lucky enough to build strong relatonships with. Brent is my friend. Even though we only see him a couple times a year, I value his friendship.

Loyalty. In today's world, I think we need more of it.