#PositiveVibes - My House First

By John R. Nocero

The VIBE: Take care of your own house first.

I come from a very small town in Western NY. There are not that many people that know about it. It is pretty touristy now but it wasn’t originally. It is a very small, blue collar, hard-working town, where people enjoy their Italian food, beer, wings and hard labor. I was talking to a good buddy of mine from there this week, and he, like me as, he has gotten older, is thinking about the rest of his life and being a good person. As he said, we are in the second half, closer to the goal line than the kickoff. Both of us just want to live and be happy. We came to a consensus; If everyone sweeps in front of their own house, the streets are clean.

This means take care of your house first. When you feel like telling someone they should be doing ABCDE, it is really because that would make them a better person, or is it what you believe they should do? Earlier this week, I am hearing a whistling noise when I start my car. I am thinking it is my serpentine belt again, which is strange because I thought it was relatively new. I make an appointment with a mechanic at AAA who treated my wife with respect the last time she was there. that is very important to me. Anyway, I go in and they do a full once over on my car and it turns out that the serpentine belt is fine. But my brake pads and rotors are very worn down. I had never replaced them - ever. turns out there is a brake rebate promotion going on, so I got $75 dollars back, plus, a coupon my wife gave me, plus a AAA membership with that discount, so I spent around $500 total. great deal. and a lifetime warranty on them. greater deal.

The guy asks me when was the last time I had my brake pads done. I said, I had never had them done. My brake pads lasted me 80,000 miles. The guy asked how slow I drive. I say slow enough not to need brake pads every 40K miles. I made an appointment in July to get oil, tires and new struts. I am big into preventive maintenance - you do that, plus brakes and tires, and your car lasts. Plus, I get treated well, so that is a bonus. The guy told me, “all I can do is educate. It is up to you if you want to listen.” For me, how would you NOT want to have good brake pads? IDK, maybe it is because you don’t want to STOP YOUR CAR? Think about how much money that saved in the long run? He said, John, the way you take care of your car, it could last 200K miles. He took care of his house first – his car – and then helped me with my house – my car. I respected his opinion. I didn’t feel like I was wasting money and made the smart move.

Instead of berating each other for this or that, is their any more of your own dirt you should probably deal with first? I find the answer is always ‘yes.’ Instead of fighting, let’s go and do just that.

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