BEST OF JODY’S BOX: HUMAN KINDNESS IS ALWAYS PAID BACK IN KIND
BY JODY WEISEL
“Can I buy some tear-offs from you,” asked a guy I had never seen before at last week’s races.
“What kind of goggles do you wear?” I asked. It wasn’t curiosity. I needed to know to determine whether I had tear-offs for his brand.
“Scott,” he said. “I can’t believe that I didn’t bring any with me, but I drove all night to get here so that I could race at Glen Helen. I’ve read all about this track and decided to take some vacation time and come down from Washington. I live in Olympia. I guess in the rush I forgot to get tear-offs.”
“The square-nosed Scotts or the round-nose ones?” I asked.
“Oh, I don’t know,” he replied. “I think they are 83s or 89s. Just the regular Scotts.”
“No problem,” I said, “nobody wears the square-nosed goggles any more.” I started digging in a gear bag, throwing stuff out into the bed of the truck and finally, in a little nook, I found one pack of Scott tear-offs.
“Here you go,” I said as I handed him the 20-pack.
“I only need a couple,” he said.
“No,” I replied. “Take the whole pack. You will need a couple for practice and a few more for both motos. It’s better to have some extras. I won’t miss them.”
“How much do I owe you?” he asked as he proffered up his wallet.
“Don’t worry about it,” I said. “Someday you’ll be able to lend something to somebody who needs it. When that day comes, give them the spark plug, tear-off or a grip for free and we’ll be even.”
“Well, thanks,” said the guy as he wander back down the pits and out of sight.
I WENT BACK TO LOOKING INTENTLY AT MY BIKE, WHICH ON RACE DAY PASSES FOR WORKING ON IT. I STARED AT THE CHAIN. IT WAS A LITTLE LOOSE, BUT THE LONGER I FIXATED ON IT THE MORE I DETERMINED THAT IT WAS PROBABLY TIGHT ENOUGH.”
I went back to looking intently at my bike, which on race day passes for working on it. I stared at the chain. It was a little loose, but the longer I fixated on it the more I determined that it was probably tight enough. Then, I refocused my gaze onto the spokes. Given the square-edged bumps on the track I would be well advised to check them carefully. I took it under advisement and instead gave my tires a quick once over. I hadn’t checked tire pressure in two weeks and the odds were pretty good that they were both pretty low. I still didn’t move off the tail gate of the Jodymobile. Instead, I looked up at the sun. It was going to be a hot day and I calculated that as the temperature neared 90-degrees the tire pressure would rise inside my tires—I’d better leave them alone. I was just about to give the evil eye to my gas tank, when somebody tapped me on the shoulder breaking my maintenance routine. It was the guy I lent the tear-offs to.
“This is my wife Denise,” he said while gesturing towards an attractive blonde to his right. “I told her how gracious you were. How you gave me your last pack of tear-offs. And, what you said about doing the same thing for someone else someday. She wanted to thank you for being so kind. Here is a breakfast burrito that she cooked in the motor home along with some cookies she baked. I also want you to know that I own the largest car dealership in the Pacific Northwest and whenever you are ready to buy a new truck, call me at this number and I will have it drop shipped to your door at my cost. If you want to get out of the heat, come down to our motor home. We have air conditioning, satellite TV and a Playstation.”
“No need,” I said. “Motorcycle racing isn’t about motorcycles. It’s about the people you meet and the experiences you have. I was glad to help. There is no need to be…say, this macaroon is delicious. Where are you parked at?”
“It’s the 42-foot Fourtravel parked down by the starting line,” he said. “Come by after your first moto. Denise is going to barbecue chicken. It’s the least we can do for the kindness you showed us.”
“Thanks,” I said. “See you later.”
Jimmy Mac came walking back from sign-up just as the Washington family was leaving and started to rustle through his gear bag.
“Hey,“ he said. “Who stole my last pack of Scott tear-offs.”
“I don’t know, “I replied. “I wear Oakleys.”
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