How Canadian Tire Beat Depression

I took a trip, a bus trip. Something that many people do many times a day.  This bus trip seemed different in so many ways.  I was headed to a place to shop.  Again, something else that happens trillions of times a second, everywhere. This trip seemed different right from the start.  I don't know why, but it felt good, it felt right, it felt somehow nice.  You see in the small town I live, having a bus system is a luxury. Prior to our bus service, the people living in our town seemed to be stuck and isolated.  And, we were! We had many areas to shop in our downtown core, many fun things to look at, some fun things to do, though what we did not have, was options.  I first remember hearing about options in high school.  Teachers would say we can do anything, we can be who and what we wanted to be.  In the 1980s, there was the onset of many options.  Prior to that era, was the 1970s, where there was a woman's movement.  This movement, changed the course of life, for women, mothers, wives; giving options opened up a landslide of opportunity for working class women and their families.  My mother was one of them, she was a very strong force in the working world and helped build that ship.  That mark then lead the children of the 80s to have almost too many options. There was so many choices that we hardly knew what to do with them all. We wanted to practically try them all on for size. We saw how hard a lot of our mothers worked, and never took that grace for granted.

The bus system, in the town of Stayner, ON has brought that much strength to the community that I choose to live in.  Not only, did it allow me the eagerness to work, though I choose to work close to home, it gave me a feeling of freedom in so many ways, opening doors that were once shut. Traveling roads, led my family to have our lives back.

One late night, after work I took a very spontaneous bus trip. I was steadfast on purchasing something for my husband, to help him out of isolation. A hobby that he wanted to do since he was a young boy, was to jaunt out with a metal detector in hand. His friend had one growing up and he never stopped wishing for the same since. That bus trip was for him. I was steadfast on purchasing this for him from a Canadian Tire Store and I wanted to surprise him with it. I wanted him to know that there is a path he can travel on, a road that does not have to be deep and dark full of pain and suffering. That day, I took that bus ride to Canadian Tire to help my husband kick depressions ass!

A buddy of mine had told me that his metal detector was on for about $170.00 and I was not able to pay much more then that. I was told by the clerk at Canadian Tire that it was not that price and it cost close to $200.00  Not $170.00. Knowing my buddy, he rounded the price to what he recalled paying. Shockingly it was not that. I thought that was it for my navigating machine that would help steer away depression and isolation.

The next thing that happened, was something that I will never forget. Trevor, a superior Canadian Tire sales clerk was trying to help me out of my disbelief from a higher price point. I gasped, I could not handle the cost of $200.00 for this depression piece of armor.  I could not by it for my husband.  this hobby was his only wish for getting outside in the winter, summer, fall and spring.  I could not wait to surprise him with it and anticipated my ride home and walk through the door to show him his new metal sword! My buddy was already making plans go out together to use there feisty machinery, with the odds of finding something truly fantastic.

Trevor then contacted Theresa, the manager of Canadian Tire. He explained to her the misconception and my bewilderment.  She started looking through paper work, looking through binders, through piles of scattered notes and then looking on her computer.  I was beginning to lose all hope.  Hope for my husband, hope for his metal detecting journeys, hope for kicking depressions ass in September of 2017.

Theresa, stood in front of me, her eyes pierced such a bright blue, her badge and coat were made for Canadian Tire managerial employees, she took a pen and my heart began to sink. She said to me; "Well, the price of the metal detector is $189.00 +tax".  My heart plummeted to the bottom, closer to my sinking hips then my stomach. The bus ride was a waist, except for the nice people, and breathtaking view. I thought, I will have to go home empty handed, with no way to help combat my husband's depression.  Theresa continued, as Trevor watched her as if he was wanting to mimic her one day; "The metal detector goes on sale next week".  My heart took a skip and shot two flights up from sink ville".  She continued "And because it is on sale next week..." My eyes widening, my smile returned..my chest opened up from being so tightly wound.  She said, "I am going to give this to you for next weeks sale price , for $99.00!"

"UMM WHAT, REALLY, ARE YOU SERIOUS, OH MY GOD, WOW, NO WAY, OH MY -WOW, THANK YOU"   I know I don't have to mention who said that.  I could not believe it, I thanked Theresa, with my arms flaring, my eyes widened, my voice fluctuating at rapid speeds.  I thanked Trevor for his diligent efforts to get to the bottom of this.

(Note, Theresa and Trevor NOT Shown in Picture below, although this is another nice Canadian Tire Employee named Emily)

All I had to do then, was pay, as I was checking out, talking to the next Sales Clerk about my experience of what had just occurred.  Her saying to me, "Well we like to make our customers happy"  My response was, "Yes I can see that"!

It was not the purchase of a material item, it was more then that.  It was the bus ride over, the bus ride that has given our town options, it was the bus driver, the people on the bus, that I would never have met as we all sat chatting away about our days, our lives, our thoughts and about Stayner, ON; our home.  It was more then that because I got to the store on time, it was more then that because my boss helped me out knowing how much this meant to me as well...It was Theresa and Trevor who were just as excited as I was for leaving with the magnetic force of my idea of winter blue's destruction. It was all of it, because I had options

Since then I have been able to see my husband laugh for the first time! Sadly, I don't remember him laughing, giggling, with his blue eyes brightly smiling like they should.

A man got his laugh back, because of Canadian Tire and because of the roads that we travel and the options in life.  If you want to know where to shop, It's Canadian Tire, in Wasaga Beach, Ontario, Canada.  Tell them I sent you and please thank the staff for all of their great efforts in wanting to make their customers happy.

Since then, because of the lift it gave to my family, our family has had doors open up, one right after another. The good feeling that Canadian Tire has given us, has stayed in our hearts, since that one spontaneous bus trip! It is true that what is in our own back yards should never be taken for granted, I did not have to go far, for the best shopping experience, ever!

I suppose that when ONE person reaches out, the person that reaches back, could change someones life forever.  That one thoughtful sentiment can cause a positive vibrational avalanche. That a keen smile and hello can change someones outlook in an instant. I suppose that one word of kindness can change everything! Thank you Canadian Tire and the transit route in Stayner, Ontario
- for the option to beat depression-.