Some days are just more suureal than others...

I was winding down my day at work when I heard the clatter of 2-stroke motor. I quickly saw the source, as an old man on a moped scooted towards my autoshop garage bays. He pulled up in front of me and asked if I had any hand tools he could borrow to help replace his tattered moped seat with a newer one.

I don't generally hand out tools as they tend to never come back, not to mention his demeanor seemed a bit on the odd side and the very aged prison tatoos from neck to knuckles inhibited any urge to hand out any tools. But his demeanor was nice enough and I offered to swap the seats myself. After a moment of very minor labor it was done.

I didn't expect any compensation, as it was a very simple task, but he offered it anyway: A Genuine Duncan Butterfly Yo-Yo, one of many that were strapped to a parcel rack on the back of the moped.

It made me think though, he may not have much in the way of cash, but he felt the need to repay my kindness so he gave what he had.

And if someone asked me if I wanted to earn a yo-yo this morning I would have looked at them like they were insane. But I've been playing with it all day, musing on this suureal moment of my day.

Some days are confusing at first, but quite amusing when you look back upon them. And its always refreshing when you run into someone who realizes that there is real value on your time, even if his currency may be a little "out of the box".

I love Duncans, especially the B-flys!

Dude! Totally fair compensation.

The only thing that would have made that better is if the yo-yo was glow in the dark.

zoomx2 wrote: The only thing that would have made that better is if the yo-yo was glow in the dark.

They actually made a lighted Version of the Duncan Butterfly. It was clear, colored plastic (I remember green) and took, I think, two AA's. They would light up when they were spinning.

(clicking over to e-Bay......)

Duncan made glow in the dark ones too, I had one when I was about 8.

Psh!

Imperial all the way...

BobOfTheFuture wrote: Psh! Imperial all the way...

bwahahahaha

FWIW, I had a buddy end up with 9 stitches above his eye last year re-learning around the world with 2 yo yos simultaneously ...yo yos rule...I still have my IMPERIAL, and I can still rock the baby at will

This story made me smile.

...And now I want to find my old yo-yos that are hidden deep in the closet.

BobOfTheFuture wrote: Psh! Imperial all the way...

Yup. A Butterfly's just an Imperial put together backwards! I wonder where my green one is...

Weird. I was re-keying a defuct promotional item print company just a couple of days ago, and found a promo (no-name) yo-yo.

Haven't owned one in 30 years, but I've been having a good time with it.

Awesome exchange!

I just love it when things work out that way.

A friend and I "earned" a beer one day for stopping to check on some folks on the side of the road. We had the wrench they needed...

Clem

Kharma rules. I bet a fellow like that is in tune with peaple enough to know you would apprecaitte that yo yo.

If he took the time to fasten yo-yos to the back of his moped, I'd be willing to bet that they represented significant value to him. I think that you were handsomely rewarded for your assistance, yo.

There used to be a guy fitting that description in Rockville MD in the mid-90's. He worked as a roadside sign-flipper for a mattress store in the summer and literally hobo-ed his way south in the winter. He had a battered mountain bike with racks and bags and crap strapped into milk crates and a trailer made out of a stolen Magliner handtruck. Crazy, interesting guy. He came in the bike shop I was working in needing some sort of adjustment he couldn't handle with his small assortment of tools. I did the 5 minute job and told him not to worry about paying. He rummaged in one of the milk crates and produced 3 or 4 foot tall stuffed plush Gumbys w/ little suction cups on their little rounded, green hands and feet.

"Here you go!" said he.

My new job pays way, way better, but it's seldom this interesting.

i have 2 duncan imperials that were my good yoyo's when i was younger, when i hit middle school it was all about the yomega fireball.

sounds like a great reward for helping a guy out.

I loved the butterfly. That was the yoyo I could work the best. Very tolerant of sloppy operation.