Mitch’s World: Who Says?…Having Sense Enough to Choose Your Words Wisely
A Lesson In Choosing Words Wisely I’m the last person in the world to minimize the power of words. They have been a recurring theme in my life since I was a small child and shared a single bedroom with my two younger brothers. Then, the words came together in stories about distant worlds and
Mitch’s World: Hiring Hell
Everyone has their own private hell, a place where monsters hide under the bed or in the dark corners of the closet down the hall, patiently waiting for just the right moment to strike. It may be a different place for each of us, filled with all manner of dark images and demons. But, regardless
Mitch’s World: Going Up?
Not long ago, someone bounced an e-mail my way. It appeared as if by magic in the middle of an otherwise pleasant and uneventful day, a day punctuated by surprisingly few e-mails, which can be a blessing on such a day. Realistically, I could have ignored it as if was not originally meant for me,
Mitch’s World: Did You Just Say What I Think You Just Said?
I just finished writing a piece for our sister publication, Counterman magazine, which goes to… well, it goes to countermen… and women; professionals in the industry who live on the other side of the parts counter. This particular article centered on a warranty issue for a defective master cylinder that we purchased and installed just
Mitch’s World: Message in a Bottle
It’s funny how things can come together. A number of seemingly unrelated events occur randomly, and then suddenly, almost as if drawn together by the hand of a cosmic tailor, these seemingly random events form a pattern and the pattern has a meaningful, almost profound significance. It is magical: the right message delivered without warning
Mitch’s World: The Gift
The Value of Our Expertise Vs. What Customers Are Charged As much as I’ve tried over the years, it would be hard for me to explain exactly how I feel about this industry or the people who work so hard and give so much while realizing all too often their efforts go unheralded, if not
Mitch’s World: How Could that Happen?
That’s the question we were asked…over and over and over again. “How could that happen? How could it be the wrong part? I bought it from the dealer and they were identical; I checked it myself!” Well, you’ve probably already figured out that they weren’t identical, because if they were, there wouldn’t be much to
Mitch’s World: A Total Eclipse of the Son
Not all that long ago, an entire generation learned about high performance and hot rods from Jan & Dean and The Beach Boys. Their lyrics romanticized surfing, cars and the California lifestyle. I knew kids who quoted those lyrics as they described either the car they were driving, or the one they desperately wanted to
Mitch’s World: If it Wasn’t for Bad Luck…
About the worst thing that can happen around here is a week where all kinds of bizarre things accumulate. Aside from the absolute chaos it inflicts on everyone including me, the crush of dealing with multiple crises makes it almost impossible to identify where one calamity ends and another begins. The ability to cope with
Mitch’s World: Personal Axe Grinding…Shows Ignorance, Especially When Done in “First Person”
I am a “first person” writer. I write about things that I’ve either experienced personally, or that have profoundly affected me in some powerful or compelling way. Almost without exception, these “things” occur either at the shop or have at least something to do with what goes on there. They are things that, in some
Mitch’s World: Righting Inaccurate Writings
I am a “first person” writer. I write about things that I’ve either experienced personally, or that have profoundly affected me in some powerful or compelling way. Almost without exception, these “things” occur either at the shop or have at least something to do with what goes on there. They are things that, in some
Mitch’s World: But, Daddy… I Swear I Wasn’t Speeding’
It must have been quite a sight — me sitting behind the counter staring at the computer screen, looking at the digital images, shaking my head in disbelief. After all, it isn’t every day you see a fairly late-model vehicle with the entire bottom of the undercarriage torn away. But, then again, I knew it