R and J in the USA

While scanning the google map of Chattanooga where we ran our Tennessee 5K, Ryan’s eyes stopped when he read, “International Towing and Recovery Museum”. Once informing Julie that such a place existed, we were both giddy at the prospect of it and absolutely positive we would be making a stop. Our attitudes, at first, were of a playful nature – more like being tickled pink at the thought of such a niche spot where we would get to see all the little details behind an industry that we often take for granted and getting to enjoy the enthusiasm of the people who have passion for it. 

It’s one of the delights of the trip, to dive into all the nooks and crannies of modern life that all weave together and take their place in the daily hum of things, often taking a background to our lives without our attention or appreciation, but for which much ingenuity, passion, hard work and innovation have gone into making them a part of our lives that we can simply take for granted. And, often, once we lean in and look closer, we find that there is more blood, sweat and tears behind them than we first took the time to appreciate. 

When we got to the museum, we got what we expected and SO much more. Our giddy eagerness and sense of fun and entertainment at the niche of it turned to jaws-dropped, minds expanded, hearts moved and respect pouring out in full. 

As we entered the museum and began to watch the introductory film, for all the times that Julie has used the word “slack-jawed” or “jaw-dropping” to describe awesome sights like the Grand Canyon or the bright colors and imposing silhouette of Mount Rainier, this may have been the first time that Julie’s jaw was literally dropped wide open. During the video, Julie felt a mix of awe, respect, appreciation, excitement and a healthy touch of shame for the attitude we brought into the museum and how little she had any of what she was learning prior to those very educational 7 minutes. 

Julie turned to Ryan and said, “I don’t think there is any other place on this trip that has more perfectly encapsulated the spirit of why we are here on this trip, than this.”

Ryan nodded in agreement. “I definitely see what you mean.”

This trip is about getting to know the country we live in, getting to appreciate the ways people live their lives and getting to breathe the air where they are doing it. It’s about getting to enjoy and savor life from as many different cultural and natural vantage points as we can and hopefully learning enough to be able to see it all in a more three dimensional and rich light. It’s about seeing things that we didn’t see before of the people and the places that are part of what we think of as our home.

In those 7 minutes, both of our views of the field of tow-trucking popped into 3 dimensions and was fleshed out with dedicated, hard-working, innovative and courageous individuals that answer a calling to serve the needs of their communities and risk their lives in the process. Now that we were looking directly at it, it helped us appreciate the things in life that can so easily fall to the background. 

On the wall, there were photos of the class of 2024 inductees into the International Tow Truck Hall of Fame. There were folks from France, Australia, Canada to Georgia, New Hampshire and Tennessee, all together on that wall. 

In the video, we learned the story of how the tow truck had first been developed in 1915 by Ernest Holmes in Chattanooga, TN. We learned that, for many, tow-trucking is a calling. As we moved through the museum complete with all the various versions of tow-trucks throughout the years, all of which were more of what we expected and were indeed, super neat to see, we also learned how much this profession can mean to those that practice it. And, furthermore, we learned how dangerous a profession it can be and what those who dedicate their lives to it put on the line to do it. 

Outside of the museum, before we even walked in was the first thing that hit us right in the gut. A stunning monument of a man holding an adult and a child by the strength of their grip and their hold on the tow wire behind them. And lined up next to that was a wall with plaques of all the names of those who’d lost their lives in the process of trying to help others. 

It all came together at the end when we started chatting with the gentleman at the counter. 

“We never knew,” we admitted to him.

”We’ve already relied on 3 tow truck drivers on this trip and we are so grateful for the help they have each provided, but we never really understood the fullness of it,” we continued.

The gentleman at the counter spoke to us about the museum and the field of towing and, before too long, the gentleman behind us joined in the conversation. He was a long-time tow-truck driver. 

“I have three friends on that wall,” he said, pointing to the monument outside.

We could see a little emotion build up behind his eyes. He talked of what it meant to him walking through the hall of fame at the tail end of the museum lined with pictures of people from all over the world that dedicated themselves to this field. He talked about how he felt to see his old boss up there on the hall of fame wall. 

Ryan said, “It must have been neat to see him up there.”

”I wish he wasn’t,” the guy responded.

At first, we thought he meant he didn’t like his boss or think him deserving of the honor. That wasn’t it at all. His boss had been one of the folks on the wall that had a black ribbon next to his picture. That meant he was no longer with us.

We took that to mean that his being on that hall of fame wall might have had something to do with his death.

The man mentioned that he hadn’t even known that his former boss had died until 2 years afterwards, because he had moved out of state. 

”I was one of his favorite employees. You’d think someone would have called me to let me know. I would have gone down there for the funeral.”

Again, we could see him holding back a surge of emotion.

It was clear that he took pride in his work and took pride to have been among his boss’s favorite employees.

It wasn’t his first time at the museum, but, when we asked about it, he pointed to the woman that was there with him, “It’s her first time,” he said with a smile of pride. She mirrored it. We had entered the museum with a sense of fun and entertainment while they carried the spirit of pride and, maybe even, pilgrimage. 

The tow truck gift shop sold all sorts of neat things as well, including some tow truck themed jewelry. It seemed particularly sweet and poignant watching him excitedly ask his girlfriend which one of the pieces of jewelry she wanted. You could tell, he was proud and excited to get her something and, even more so, that she wanted to wear something that showed her pride in him and what he did.

He and the gentleman behind the counter went on to talk to us about the importance of the “Move Over and Slow Down” laws that are not yet uniform around the country. “We always do move over when traffic allows,” we assured him. We asked what to do when you can’t move over. 

“Slow down to the minimum speed limit when you go by any car on the side of the road, whether a tow truck, police or just a stalled vehicle.” Wherever you are, slow down 20 mph, unless you are in a zone that is 20 mph speed limit already, and then slow down to 5 mph,”. He informed us all of this with the kind of passion that you can tell can only come from someplace that means something. It’s not just an arbitrary rule. It’s a rule that keeps this gentleman and his colleagues and friends safe as they do the same for all of us on the road. 

Ryan bought some of the tow truck themed poker chips they sold in their gift shop so that we could give one to each of the tow truck drivers that helps us in the future, just to say thank you and that we really appreciate what they do.

It’s easy to forget that, whether you think about it or not, every time you get in a car and get on the road, part of what makes you feel safe, is knowing that, no matter what happens, a tow truck is only a phone call away. 

So, to all those in the towing industry the world over, we would like to say, we finally see you, at least more than we did before, and we thank you. And, most of all, we will always make sure to move over and slow down so that you can do your job and do it safely.