[0:08]Derek Lott, overalls and thermal underwear. Overalls and thermal underwear. Derek Lott.
[0:30]Thank you, contest chair. You're welcome. Growing up, I adored my grandma. But my granddad, we weren't close at all. What I remember most about my granddad, is his head, always under the hood of a car. In the summertime, he wore jeans and a t-shirt, and in those bitter Chicago winters, overalls and thermal underwear. Our relationship was a blank canvas until that faithful day in 1991, the day that grandma died. Contest chair, toastmasters and guests, have you ever lost the most important person in your life? Are you going to be okay, granddad? I'll manage, son, but don't stop coming by. Maybe building a relationship with my granddad would help me heal. Grandma said family relationships weren't always easy, but well worth it. As chance would have it, I needed my first car. So I leaned in to the automotive guru, my granddad. Do you remember your first car? I had $200, two. And I asked my granddad for help. Let's take a ride. On the way, he told me stories about how he met grandma, his time in the military, and his favorite pastime, coin collecting. On my mind, what kind of car did he find? Was it something my friends would think was cool? Would I be comfortable taking a young lady on a date? An hour's ride led us up to a house. A man came out, wearing overalls and thermal underwear. He tipped his hat, handed my granddad a key, and gestured behind the house. And there, the great reveal: a rusty, dusty 1970s Ford Granada. My heart sank. All I could think about was my friends. We wouldn't be friends long after they saw this car. A date? Forget it. I wouldn't take myself on a date in that contraption. My granddad gave me the congratulatory pat on the back. I'll see you back at the house. He got into his car and off he went. I got into my ride and off I went. And only one of us made it home. I called my, what am I doing? It's 1991. I've got to find a payphone.
[3:36]I found a payphone. Called my granddad. He came out, looked under the hood. You need an alternator. An alter who? Let's get you a change of clothes. Why? You can't wear that to the junkyard. The junkyard. Back at the house, my granddad issued me my very first pair of overalls and thermal underwear. On the way, he told more stories about how he met grandma, his time in the military, and his favorite pastime, coin collecting. Now, the junkyard was a greasy, grimy, smelly cesspool. Every mechanic's paradise. I was a fish out of water. Grandma said family relationships weren't always easy, but this was getting dangerous. In that junkyard, I was slipping and tripping. I almost broke my neck. I was out of my element, but with some coaching from granddad, I found that alternator. On the way back, he told more stories about how he met. His time in the And his favorite pastime. Were you there?
[5:03]Like magic, that rusty, dusty 1970s Ford Granada cranked right up. I was back on the road. Off to see my friends. And sure enough, as soon as they saw that car, they fell out laughing. This is Derek's car when he starts it up. We, we ain't going nowhere. It was humiliating. I asked my granddad, how long do you think this car will last? It'll last a good while. You know, working on this car with you has really helped me deal with the loss of your grandmother. It never occurred to me that granddad had lost the most important person in his life that day. Grandma said family relationships weren't always easy. I was beginning to understand why they were so important. Granddad was right. That rusty, dusty 1970s Ford Granada did last, but he didn't. A couple of years later, he became gravely ill. At his bedside, I was overwhelmed. He reached for my hand and held it tight. And then he was gone. In that moment, all the trips to the junkyard, the roadside rescues, the heartfelt stories created a bond between us. Have you ever felt the deep ache of losing the most important person in your life? Dear friends, are you standing on the edge of a difficult family relationship? What if instead of running, you leaned into it? What if you loved louder, listened deeper, forgave faster? We all know tomorrow is no guarantee, and we will lose the most important people in our life. But it is the stories and the eternal bond that will live on. Grandma was right. Family relationships aren't always easy, but well worth it. Contest chair.
