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Tire
going flat leads to eventful
and philosophic ride to Norcross
By Bert Nasuti
Gwinnett County Commissioner
Special to GwinnettForum.com
((Editor's Note: Hearing Bert Nasuti
tell of a return trip that turned foul, but of him gaining new insights
from it, perhaps you will enjoy this as we did.--eeb.)
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Commissioner
Nasuti
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APRIL 12, 2002 -- Sometimes in life things happen to you that initially
cause you to say "Why me?" Yet these events in life give
you new experiences that makes life just that much more interesting.
On April 7, I left my family behind in Florida so they could stretch
Spring Break. I headed north in my sports car on I-75 as nightfall
rolled in.
Listening to the Braves game, I was startled by a loud thump coming
from my one of my back tires. The onboard computer air sensors showed
the Goodyear run-flat tire was still inflated. With no where to
stop, I continued northbound, hoping to make it home. (Goodyear
runflats are designed to go up to 200 miles at 50 mph, with no air.)
It was not to be.
I drove another 25 miles or so to a truck stop in Tifton. They
told me they did not have "the stuff to repair a run-flat tire."
Eventually, I asked: "Is there anyone around who would tow
me to Atlanta?" In unison, both gentlemen said "Well,
Junior Brooks can."
So, they called "Junior", and in 15 minutes, he was in
the parking lot with his Nissan-Flat-bed.
By 9:30 p.m., I was riding shotgun in the cab with Junior. He was
sipping one of those "Big Gulp" fountain Cokes, as country
music played on the radio. During the next three hours, Junior shared
with me the following:
** He is a third generation wrecker driver. His family had started
the business in the '40s. He never thought about doing much else
because "Daddy always taught me you did the work that needed
to be done and you didn't rely on anyone else for anything."
Since there is always wrecker driving to do, "Well, that was
it. I never thought 'bout doing anything else."
** The best barbecue around is now "Hunter's," between
Douglas and Ocilla. "It used to be in Tifton, but when the
'old lady' died, no one wanted to keep the place going."
** Stripling Sausage Kitchen on Route 300 between Cordele and Albany
has the best home packed sausage around.
** "Never water your tomatoes in the morning since it swells
the plant and the fruit. The trick is to water them late at night."
He is only going to till 75 plants this year. From June on, his
main food source is tomato sandwiches.
** Junior does not ever drink and drive. He says if you have worked
the accidents he has, "You see the drunk driver usually sitting
on the curb sulking, while the passengers and others are being put
in the body bags," adding, "Seems like the drunk never
gets kilt."
** Junior won't do repossession work because picking up a car for
a bank "Ain't worth getting shot at."
** South Georgia gnats aren't that bad, "They just seem to
bother people from north of Macon."
The three-plus hour trip from Tifton went really fast as Junior
shared ideas and towed me to Norcross. After unhooking my car, I
paid his more than reasonable fee, and pointed him back to I-285.
He was headed straight back home, saying: "Call if you ever
have a problem around Tifton."
I got home later than expected, and I had to pay for a tow. Yet
I realized that maybe it was not so bad after all, for without that
misfortune, I may never have met Junior Brooks, or had my horizons
broadened, by some of Junior's thoughts.
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Number
2.01, April 12, 2002
