Don't Kick the Car

I still remember the name of the color, Glencoe Green, from Chrysler. It was beautiful, deep metallic green, so dark that most people thought the car was black, but in the sun, oh, did that car sparkle and show its true color. The day I picked up my car from Colorgraphics body shop in Blakesburg, Iowa, still stands out as if it was yesterday.

The shop floor had that wet, chalky look that all body shops seem to have; it was probably dust from sanding. The smell of paints and thinners lingered in the air; it's an odor many people don't like, but I do. I looked over every inch of my freshly paint...