I went down on W. 6th street just east of Lamar to buy a new pickup at McMorris Ford. I picked out a 1972 Ford 3/4 ton.

We had gotten rained out on the job that afternoon so Glenn Lewis had ridden along with me. Big Jimmy Palmer had been along too, so he took my old truck and left.

After making the deal on the truck we both were just milling around waiting for them to finish servicing it, so I could drive it home. It was late in the day and most everyone had left, both on the sales floor and in the shop.

I looked up and the sales manager and the shop manager were walking toward us. Thinking they were coming to tell me the truck was ready, I anxiously awaited their walk across the massive showroom floor. Once in front of us the shop manager said “Someone has stolen an inspection sticker out of the book back in the shop and no one is leaving until we find it”. Knowing I wasn’t guilty I turned to Glenn and said “Glenn if you stole that sticker give it back”. I had figured that it was just a mechanic that was mistaken or something.

But no, Glenn pulled his big black cowboy hat off and took the inspection sticker out of the lining band and handed to the guy. I felt about 3″ tall. Here I had spent all afternoon building a relationship with these people telling them how many more trucks I just might be buying and how I was going to expect them to take care of my needs and no telling what else.

Now I was reduced to one big pile of shame standing there. I motioned for Glenn to follow me outside. We stood out there for a few minutes and I guess it was more theatrics than anything but I told him to head on out a wait up around the corner on Lamar and I’d pick him up when they release the new truck to me.

I went back inside and told them how I’d just fired that thieving fool and how sorry I was for the incident. They too seemed to understand how hard it was to find good dependable help.

On the way back home to Oak Hill, Glenn explained that the sticker was expired on his old Blue and White 62 Ford and he couldn’t find anyone that would put a sticker on it because there was so much wrong with it.

I just made sure Glenn wasn’t with me when I needed to go back for service at McMorris Ford.