Some Good That Came From Social Media...

[ghuns]

With all the bullshit going on with the various social media platforms, it's nice to see its power used for good.

So the wifey and me were high school sweethearts. Our 30 year class reunion is coming up next month and there's a FaceBook group set up for it. Yesterday morning, someone shared a post from another local FaceBook group. This kid was cleaning out an old truck he bought and found a class of '91 ring from our high school with the wife's first name on it. It just so happens I lost her class ring about 30 years ago. For you youngsters, we all used to have these things called class rings. When you were "goin steady" with a girl, you'd swap class rings. There were only 3 girls that shared her first name in our class, so odds are pretty good it was hers.

I sent the kid a message and told him that I was pretty sure it was hers, but I couldn't even begin to remember what it looked like. But what I do remember is every vehicle I've ever owned in amazing detail.

I thought back to around the time I lost it and asked if the truck was a white, '89 S-10 Baja edition. Nope.

Ok, was it a red/white 1972 Chevy Custom Camper? Nope.

Damn. Those were the two trucks I had back then. He then, said it's a Ford.

Heresy! I have NEVER owned a Ford. That'd be like owning a red tractor. I bristled at the mere accusation.

Then it hit me, is the Ford in question red? Yep.

Is it an '86 F-250 with a 302, 4 speed manual, and the most ridiculously small(13 gallon ) gas tank ever put in a truck? Yes, yes, yes, and yes.

It was the shop truck from the place I served my apprenticeship. Before you got to touch a machine, you swept floors and drove truck. I was in and out of that truck a dozen times a day for the first six months I worked there.

I must have put the ring in my pocket when I was handling something that would damage it and had it fall out and get wedged between the seat back and seat bottom. And there it sat for 30 years until this kid folded the seatback forward and out it fell.

So last night the wife and me met the kid and got her ring back. He was a super nice. We offered him cash, beer, to take him and his wife out to dinner at the place of his choosing. He said, no thanks. I don't want anything. He was just happy for it to be back with its owner.

The only thing he did accept was my help in his effort to get the truck titled. His old boss bought the truck in 2013 from my old boss, the truck's original owner. His old boss lost the title before ever taking it to the BMV and just used the truck on his property. So in the eyes of the BMV, my old boss could file for a lost title and sign it over to the kid so he can get the old girl back on the road. I offered to track down my old boss's contact info for him.

Not sure why an '86 Ford is worth the effort, but it's the least I can do.

[Jim at Gentex]

Wow...that's pretty cool.  

I'm sure your Mrs. was thrilled to get her ring back.

Social media is still pretty much of a festering boil on society's ass IMO, but it's nice to see it used to help someone once in a while.  

[thad]

With all the bullshit going on with the various social media platforms, it's nice to see its power used for good.

Social media is used for good every day. Here's a good example: https://www.fox4news.com/news/detroit-woman-tracks-down-stolen-mercedes-suspect-dragged-from-barbershop-by-dreds">//https://www.fox4news.com/news/detroit-woman-tracks-down-stolen-mercedes-suspect-dragged-from-barbershop-by-dreds  

If you think social media is the Kardashians then I can see why you think it sucks. You're not doing it right.

[HTM01]

Not sure why an '86 Ford is worth the effort, but it's the least I can do.

if someone has a NADA book look up the value
the town wanted to value my 86' Chevy pickup at $10,000 a couple years ago for tax assessment

[gcode]

Last year on a hot summer day I pulled into my driveway after driving home from work
There was a large turtle strolling across the driveway.
I parked my car and found him holed up under a bush where the AC condensation drips
I don't know the first thing about turtles so I left him alone.
I took a photo and posted it on the NextDoor app.
The owner showed up and retrieved her turtle a half hour later.
She said he was a water turtle and he would have lasted an hour in the heat if he hadn't found
that wet spot under  the bush..  
That worked out well as I had no clue what to do with that turtle

[Jim at Gentex]

If you think social media is the Kardashians then I can see why you think it sucks. You're not doing it right.

I not only don't do it right, I don't do it at all...except for this forum and the slack channel.

I have a Farcebook account, but only because I need to maintain a personal account since my church uses it to stream our Sunday services for our folks who are not able to join us in person.
If / when they start charging for streaming, I will drop FB in a second.
If we have to pay for a streaming service, there are much better alternatives.  :w00t:

[gcode]

[quote="Jim at Gentex" post_id=13465 time=1626800827 user_id=83]
I not only don't do it right, I don't do it at all
[/quote]

I had an FB account, but didn't use it much
I closed it after FB took sides in the 2020 election.
I closed my LinkedIn account this weekend.
I didn't use it much either, but I figure if Big Tech #1 can't be trusted, none of them can

[Jim at Gentex]

I didn't use it much either, but I figure if Big Tech #1 can't be trusted, none of them can

Couldn't agree more.

My Mrs. wanted one of those Google Home thingys which now sits on our kitchen counter.
She uses it to listen to music, check the weather forecast, and occasionally for a recipe.

I know the thing is listening to our conversations because we no sooner get finished talking about something that it pops up as a Google ad on our phones.  It happened just the other day when we were discussing buying a pellet smoker grill.  Within a half hour of just talking about it, my phone was bombarded with sale ads for pellet smoker grills.  

[HTM01]

[quote="Jim at Gentex" post_id=13465 time=1626800827 user_id=83]
I not only don't do it right, I don't do it at all

I closed my LinkedIn account this weekend.
I didn't use it much either, but I figure if Big Tech #1 can't be trusted, none of them can
[/quote]

you can never get out of linkedin

[Rstewart]

Not sure why an '86 Ford is worth the effort, but it's the least I can do.

if someone has a NADA book look up the value
the town wanted to value my 86' Chevy pickup at $10,000 a couple years ago for tax assessment

I sure would love to have one of those 80's square body Chevys.  They're bringing bank tho.   My first truck was a 85 Chevy I built, man I wish I had it back :-(

[neurosis]

Every time I get on social media I see someone from my high school days that has passed away..

[HTM01]

Not sure why an '86 Ford is worth the effort, but it's the least I can do.

if someone has a NADA book look up the value
the town wanted to value my 86' Chevy pickup at $10,000 a couple years ago for tax assessment

I sure would love to have one of those 80's square body Chevys.  They're bringing bank tho.   My first truck was a 85 Chevy I built, man I wish I had it back :-(

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