I came to AG seeking product and info but what I've found here is much greater.
There is a lot of fellowship and care. From posters sending up prayers to the positive feedback that seems to be the norm.
I have found guidance even when I was not searching. Keep up the good work and...Happy Detailing.
Yes, this is a great forum to be involved with for sure. I feel the same way.
Dave, you and I have not had much interaction on this forum. We have from time to time crossed paths and commented on each others threads and every time I have seen a generous and caring individual behind your words.
What you are doing here and now is commendable to the highest degree. The caliber of person you are to be willing to share your products and knowledge is priceless and indicative of a all-around great individual. I stand here today, just wanting to thank you for being you. Its people like you that are here on this forum, that bring such pride and enjoyment in me being involved with this hobby of mine.
To people like you its an occupation that you enjoy, to me its serenity and relaxation.
This forum is a place that we can all express ourselves and have a family-like love/hate relationship with one another. We have our weird funny-smelling uncles, we have our rebellious idiot cousins, we have the nerdy brother-in-laws that we hate our sisters married. At the end of the day we are all part of the family.
Thank you for being a part of this family and thank you for accepting all of us as part of it as well!
Wow Mike, Thanks for the kind words.
Funny you mention detailing being serenity and relaxation because that's exactly what prompted me to look further into auto detailing in the first place. I was in a very uneasy place in my life and waxing my car was like "Calgon" It just took me away from all of my worries and allowed me to focus on the next few steps that I would take to grow in the right direction.
Since those early days of detailing, I have been showered with more blessings than I can account for, in the way of guidance, friendship and meeting and building a relationship with a God who unbeknownst to me had always been by my side. This all may seem all mushy to some folks but that's OK.
When I look at my life today and at the same time remember how my life once was, I can't help but to be grateful for the way things have turned out. I have met a lot of folks who have guided and helped me to become who I am today, and nearly every one of them said "Just help someone else Dave" when I tried to return the favor to them.
I've never met a truly grateful person who wouldn't set aside a little time or simply make time to help his fellow man out, and this site is full of folks that are willing to do such things. Just trying to do my part, make a few friends and get rid of some of this clutter at the same time.
I started detailing because it gave me mental and spiritual clarity, but I quickly realized that I was good at it. Somewhat of a natural I guess you could say. Then I tried to use my detailing abilities to "Play Catch Up" and attempt to amass all of the equipment, products and clientele to build some financial security that I never before had in my life. Over the past few years of working a full time job and putting together the equipment, marketing my services, filling bottles, washing towels and pads, going to the bank, placing orders, doing inventory, cleaning the house, walking the dog, helping others and doing what I need to do to stay on the beam spiritually, I realized that "playing catch up" is just something that some of us "think we can do" when in all reality those years are gone.
What I have now is a lot of experience, both at life and in auto detailing and I can use both to help others. I shut down the detailing business for the most part but still invest in it as a plan B and as a hobby once again. Nice thing is that I can draw on it to pick up a few extra bucks when times get tough and it's mine and if I choose to do so I can put it into full force and go full time with it. This year if it's not a show car, classic car, exotic car or the car of a really good friend or Mom's car, I'll simply pass on the job.
Regardless of what I choose to do with it, I am reasonably sure that I'll keep pushing these products to the side or sitting them on the back of the shelf as I reach for my M-105, M-205, D-300, my Ultima stuff and my dedicated cleaners. These products that I keep pushing to the side all work and could be used but I probably won't use them so why not pass them on to someone who hasn't already gone through their testing phases to narrow their product selection down to their fave few products.
I'll start shaking them up and decant them into 12 ounce yorker bottles and get them all listed and once/if a few members start posting to this thread I'll post a pic of them and if nobody local is interested in them then maybe I'll package them up and ship them abroad to those who may be interested in some free products.
Have a great week, TD
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