For years I've carried an old police nightstick in my car. I do this for what I think would be preventive protection. Actually, it's more like "peace of mind". I hoped that I would never use it violently on anything or anyone.

It's just a showpiece. Once, after I was stopped by an Officer because my license plate registration had expired I was asked by the Officer where I'd gotten the "Cherry Picker". I replied that I wasn't from Saint George or Santa Clara, Utah. He grinned and told me that the nightstick was commonly referred to as a cherry picker.

I explained how I got the stick and that I've never used it for protective reasons. He told me that he's never had to violently use his either. After our short conversation we parted. I hoped that if I ever had to use the stick that it wouldn't be for violence. I don't consider myself a violent person.

Well, about ten years ago I drove a nice Nissan. The car's old tape player had just chewed up a cherished cassette by the Beetles. It was more than I could stand; this mechanical moron ate my last cherished tape. I knew the cost of repairing the old radio and tape deck would far outweigh the cost of a newer one. I clinched my jaw and thought that I wanted revenge upon this mindless piece of equipment. I quickly figured the cost of fixing the moron machine and decided that its usefulness had come to an end.

So, I grabbed the nightstick and began to smash the daylights out of the tape deck and radio. I was a pretty good shot as I nearly gouged out the entire tape deck. I only slightly grazed the "defogger" switch.

After the outburst of frustration, I said to myself that I was crazy and that I couldn't believe that I just destroyed the entire tape deck and radio."

I almost cried as I thought of how much it would cost to replace. I quickly prayed for help and guidance on what to do to correct my mistake. I hoped that the Lord did watch over fools and orphans, because this was truly foolish. I wasn't sure about the "orphan" part.

The next day, I began searching for a new defogger switch at the Nissan parts department. That was going to cost 26 bucks, but I learned how to replace it myself and saved the installation costs. The Nissan Parts manager felt sorry for me and told me to buy a new tape deck and radio at a local shop. I thought that they would be too expensive to buy. I wondered if I could get one at the local junkyard.

I asked my talented friend if he could help me find and install a new tape deck for me. He said he could, but he'd charge me 50 bucks to install it. I was humbled and thought that I deserved the loss. I that I'd do whatever it took to get it fixed right, even if it meant being sharked by my dear friend. He told me that it wouldn't cost more than he'd charge anywhere else.

I shopped around for a new tape deck and radio. I found one that I liked at the store that the Nissan parts manager suggested to look. Its cost was within my meager budget of almost nothing. Then, I learned that the shop would professionally install it for nothing. That made my day. I couldn't stop smiling as I thought of the 50 dollars that my friend had wanted to charge me.