Norma Wasn’t Normal
A couple of weeks back, my wife and I met a lady named Norma. Though our meeting was brief, it reminded me that the EntreSpirit is alive and well in people in all walks of life. As you read this story, you’ll find that Norma didn’t own a business. In fact, she wasn’t even a manager at the auto parts store that employed her. However, she definitely had something the other staff members didn’t. Norma wasn’t normal, but she made our day and reminded us that the EntreSpirit can be found anywhere.
The story starts on a Sunday afternoon. I had been in bed most of the day, still recovering from the side effects of a new medication. I was on the mend, but not feeling well enough to go to church. Sarah and the girls went without me. However, they didn’t drive to church in our trusty Honda Odyssey. Unfortunately, our battery had died the day before when I was feeling pretty sick so Sarah’s mom had picked them up. They all returned in the afternoon as I was waking up and starting to feel better. Hearing Sarah’s mom speaking in our kitchen, I remembered that we needed to get the battery replaced. I sat down in one of our easy chairs with my phone to watch a YouTube video on how to change the battery. I quickly realized that I’d need a couple of tools and that I’d have to remove some parts to even get to the battery. Though I’m pretty techie and have changed batteries before, this looked like something more challenging, and I resolved to leave it to the professionals.
Off to the Tire Shop
After a quick jumpstart, we drove to the local tire shop that handles battery replacements, tires, and oil changes. We’d been there before and knew they’d take care of us. The good news is that they were willing to help. The bad news is that it would take them about 4 hours to get to us. The time was now approaching one o’clock and we’d have to spend four hours waiting for the van. Before we said yes to waiting, the man behind the counter at the tire shop told us that we might want to consider an auto parts store. He mentioned that they often replace the battery for free right in the parking lot. Hearing his words, I remembered seeing a TV commercial showing an auto parts store doing this and we both thought it was worth a shot. At least we could try and if they couldn’t replace the battery, we could head back to the tire shop and wait.
Within a few minutes, we arrived at the auto parts store. As we pulled in, we noticed a woman working on a car outside. She was leaning over the engine and doing something, while another young lady sat behind the wheel of the vehicle. My wife and I both were impressed, commenting on how cool it was that she was outside working on a car. Entering the store, we came to the register to inquire about having our van’s battery replaced. I kept the van running in case they said “no” so I’d be able to make it back to the tire shop. We were informed that they still replaced batteries on the spot, and so we happily purchased a new one, knowing we’d save a ton of time and money. As we finished checking out, the woman we’d seen outside was returning. Drenched in sweat from the August heat in Florida, she wheeled in a cart with a bunch of tools and parked it next to us. Our new battery was promptly lifted onto the cart, and a man in his mid-forties grabbed the cart and walked us outside to handle the replacement.
As he approached the van, he asked us to turn the engine off. That’s when we started to sweat. Not only was the van parked in the sun, but it was one o’clock in the afternoon and the temperature was easily into the mid-90s with a heat index of 109 degrees. The engine which had been running didn’t help the matter, and when the man popped the hood, it became all the hotter. We walked around to the front of the van where he was getting ready to work. For the next two minutes, he started searching for the battery, when he said, “Hey, I don’t see your battery.”
Having watched the YouTube video about changing the battery, I pointed out the location, noting that there were a couple of parts that needed to be removed to access it. It was about that time that the man started to act uncomfortable and said, “I’m sorry, but we can’t change this here. There are all kinds of parts to be removed just to get to your battery. You’re going to have to take it to a mechanic or Honda dealership because we can only replace a battery if they’re right on the top.”
Enter EntreSpirited Norma
I grumbled, but it was as I expected. “Okay, I understand. I’m going to need a refund on the battery then,” I said as we headed back inside. As we walked over to the cash register for the refund, the woman who had been outside when we pulled up asked what the problem was. The man quickly responded that the battery was covered by parts and couldn’t be replaced easily. She asked the man if she could take a look at it. As we walked outside, I found out the woman’s name was Norma. We popped the hood again, and she quietly inspected the parts and battery. “Have you ever changed a battery on one of these before?” I asked.
“No. But I don’t mind trying to figure things out,” she responded confidently.
Because I had watched the YouTube video, I pointed out the parts that needed to be removed. She looked at me and nodded her head. Turning around, she grabbed a Phillips screwdriver and went to work. Within two minutes, the first part was removed. She carefully placed it on the cart. Ten seconds later, she pulled off the air vent covering the battery. Grabbing a socket wrench, she loosened the bolts securing the battery. Within another minute she had our old battery completely removed. Laughing, she wiped the sweat from her head and said, “You don’t have to worry about anyone stealing this battery!”
My wife and I were floored! We looked at each other in shock. Norma was going to town on our van. I don’t remember exactly what we said, but it was something like, “You go girl. The man can’t fix it, but Norma can!”
She smiled, appreciating the encouragement. She spoke humbly and said, “I’m not a mechanic. I just know that if I spend a little time looking and am patient, I can figure things out. Some people don’t even want to spend the time to try. I don’t mind, and that’s why I can do things when others can’t.” Within three more minutes, she finished the job at hand and closed the hood. I reached for my wallet and tried to hand her a pretty good tip, which she politely refused. I insisted and put the cash on the cart.
Not only had she provided great customer service, but she was humble and kind. She was willing to overcome the sweltering heat, learning curve, and try something her peers had given up on. As we drove away, we continued to chuckle. Norma had made our day. She saved us a ton of time, but more importantly, she showed us the EntreSpirit in a very unlikely place.
