Gold Coast, Australia
New stories update on 24 March 2012
New stories update on 24 March 2012
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A Work In Progress offers real life inspiring stories on
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Quick Links to Stories:
A Note for You from Graham and BevEco Islanding if we don't ask, we don't get (seek and you shall find out)
Equal Rights = Equal Responsibility just give me poached eggs and hold the rules
Imagination is Free Separation - what effect on children, who to love Mum or Dad?
Leave your Mark our enduring worth
Love is Stronger than death how love is timeless and forever
My New Best Friend is your button in the "Press Here to Start" position?
Timing is Everything how do we know when the time is right?
NEW To Have or Not to Have is that a question?
Timing is Everything
...how do we know when the time is right?
Buckle up 'cause this story is a "ride"...
I've been looking for the right car for the last 7 years and test drove a few but nothing clicked. The car I was driving had to be replaced after it emptied out green coolant on the pavement at the radiator repairers and I'd just made it there before it "died" so I bought a new little red car at a good price but it wasn't my dream car. My imaginary dream car had to have a hard top which folded down. I'd test-driven cars but got sunburnt and wind-blasted. I'd also liked a car with a chrome door sill plate and I REALLY liked watching James Bond drive an Aston Martin DBR9 in Quantum of Solace thumping the drilled aluminium pedals.
Six months after buying my faithful little red car, I pulled up beside a car in the car park one day and it was "the one" for me. I talked to the girl who owned it and even after she sneered at me with my little red car with a look like "do you really think you deserve one of these", I didn't let her steal my dream. This car was French with little Lions in the middle of each wheel and one big rampant Lion logo out front. It was love at first sight but I went online to check it out and it had to fit my budget. It was a very safe car and I was fascinated with the engineering and the way the hard-top roof went down in 20 seconds. Over the next couple of years I would imagine driving home along the Coast with the top down and a gentle sea breeze on my face.
Only Graham knew my fascination with this Lion of a car. I kept my dream close to my heart. Two weeks ago when driving past the local dealership, we walked in and they had two second-hand cars on the lot which Graham pushed me to test-drive - the 2 seater and the 4 seater. There was a big difference performance-wise and I knew the 4 seater, 2 litre turbo diesel was the right size car but walked away disappointed as the car available was badly marked with a price more than I would pay.
Going online to check out car prices, I found a car priced at more than I wanted to pay but I made a phone call and spoke to this great guy - let's call him Ralph. He talked about his car - a year old, low mileage, 2 years warranty and roadside assist with all the extras. He'd colour matched leather seats with the interior roof. He bought a new car every year with his new car due for delivery in two weeks. To cut a long story short, the initial figure I offered was less than what he wanted but he knew I'd studied the car and appreciated the effort he'd put into individually styling it and I would look after it. I'd make a few calls to see how close I could get to the price he wanted with the idea we'd travel the couple of hours that weekend to test drive the car.
I Googled Ralph's details and found out he'd done great things helping underprivileged people, was a good leader, honest, good-hearted and a smart businessman. This proved true when Graham and I met him and his wife.
The next couple of days were a blur of text messages, emails and phone calls and at one point I put the brakes on and sat down thinking: "Why do I need to get this car? I have my little red car so why am I thinking I even deserve this dream car?" The wish to find a car many years earlier was now a dream coming true so fast it scared me. Graham talked to me about how I'd worked so hard over the last few years without expecting anything in return, knocking over challenges along the way by faith and he believed I should get a reward for all the effort. I still struggled until I wrote down some questions and got the answers: It has 6 airbags and is one of the top safest cars. More importantly, how can I tell others to believe in their dreams if I don't step up and take hold of mine? The mental fight was over and by Friday at 3.00pm I signed the paperwork and was handed a cheque to pay Ralph on Saturday if I decided to buy the car. Ralph and I had negotiated a higher price to include a deposit and it was all agreed before we committed to driving the distance.
We left Saturday morning at 5.30am 'cause Graham likes to go early and miss the traffic and whatever he needs to get the job done - well, that's what I do. We were lucky to check in early at 8.30am into a fully-booked hotel with the owner refusing extra money saying it was our good fortune. Seeing the car for the first time - it was beautiful - a shock as it was much more than I'd ever imagined. Graham and I knew it was the car for me - the way Ralph had styled the colours and extras - it was a perfect fit for me just as it had been for him. I test drove the car and it was an easy drive. We got the paperwork out the way and sat down and talked with these great people and, truly, if we had gone all that way just to meet Ralph and Karen it would have been worth the trip but we were lucky to walk away with a beaut car as well.
Hugs all around, a bottle of Champagne from Ralph to celebrate and, what a treasure, he'd filled up the car with fuel and had it washed and cleaned. Ralph suggested we give the Champers to the lady at the hotel so her and her husband shared our good luck. I sat in my new car before the 5.30am drive home Sunday morning and got familiar with the basics so I could drive it safely. The weather threw everything at me on the trip home - driving rain through hill climbs on unfamiliar roads with Graham leading the way - but the car was easy to handle.
I phoned Ralph at lunchtime after I'd lodged the paperwork and changed the car into my name and he asked if I'd driven it with the top down. I said, no, it had rained all weekend. He sounded disappointed and that night driving home from work trying to work up the courage the "words" came to me loud and clear:-
Why don't you pull over, put the top down and bring this puppy on home.
And, baby, that's what I did! I lived the dream right there and brought that little French puppy on home - inhaling the faint whisper of sea air penetrating my quiet haven - I drove down along the Coast road as I'd imagined so many times.
Ask me what colour it is? It is mother-of pearl white - a reminder of ocean colours and of shells we have throughout our home. It has a chrome door sill with the name stamped on it and drilled aluminium pedals and much more.
When all is said and done I know it's a car but the greatest gift is where it came from - a blessing from above - and to have the man I love more than any mere car tell me I deserve it and to support me while I do the work to check everything out and then step out in faith to go after it.
When I told Ralph I'd pass this story on to encourage others who may have given up on their dreams he advised: Have your head in the clouds, your feet on the ground and you'll find your dreams somewhere in between.
The best fun is to encourage you to keep the faith of a dream and purpose in your heart, to do the work and have persistence to go after it when the timing is right.
After I bought my car, I remembered riding the yellow fold-up Peugeot bicycle my Dad owned many years ago and realised I now have a Peugeot Lion in my garage. Like Father, like daughter - thanks Dad.
...I would imagine driving home with a gentle sea breeze on my face.
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© 2012 Copyright www.aworkinprogress.com.au. Stories by Bev D. Photos by Graham D. Website by Bev D. The Authors, Graham and Bev, assert the moral right to be identified as the Authors of this work. No part of this website may be reproduced and published without the prior written permission of the Authors. All rights reserved.
© 2012 Copyright www.aworkinprogress.com.au. Stories by Bev D. Photos by Graham D. Website by Bev D. The Authors, Graham and Bev, assert the moral right to be identified as the Authors of this work. No part of this website may be reproduced and published without the prior written permission of the Authors. All rights reserved.