Not Zen 41: Better Than Finding

A man wanted his car repaired. He went to a dealership but the mechanics there said it was impossible for them to perform the correct procedure.

"Why?" he cried.

"They aren't making the flanges you need. We can't get them."

He took his car to a local garage, which told him the same thing. He went to a car hobbyist, who agreed that those parts hadn't been manufactured for years. However, the hobbyist said that he shouldn't give up hope. There was a junkyard owner not far away who might be able to locate the correct parts.

"That's not an antique, you know," said the junkyard owner when they met. He puffed his cigar and nodded in the direction of the well-used vehicle.

"I've had my car a long time," he replied. "I trust it and I want to fix it."

"Is this the parts list?" A greasy finger trailed down the page printed out from the dealer.

"Yes, it is."

"Okay. Come back in the morning. I'll have them for you."

He shook the owner's hand and vowed to pay anything. Later, as he stayed over night in a hotel, he regretted his enthusiasm. He worried that he would face a huge charge for such rare parts.

In the morning, however, he was surprised to find the bag of parts ready and a small bill attached. The price was less than a tenth of what he'd expected.

"This is wonderful!" he exclaimed. "But how did you find them so quickly? And why couldn't anybody else find the parts? I had all sorts of specialists looking for me. Some charged more money than you did and without giving me any results. What are you doing right?"

"I made the parts," the junkyard owner explained. He wiped the grease from his hands. "I had to charge for my time but otherwise, they're not worth much."