Hot Wheels helping in everyday life

OK so everyday we live our lives and don't think much about what's going on in other peoples because we are busy working, living, traveling, paying bills or whatever. About a year ago a friend from high school found out that he had cancer of the bladder. He has had several surgeries etc... I found about this six months or so ago. This was an opportunity to re-kindle our friendship and re-focus on things that are important like family, priorities stuff like that. Once when I went to see him in the hospital, I stopped at the Walmart a few blocks from the hospital and picked up a couple of cars and gave them to him in his room. He was tired that day and didn't say much about it. As time passed, he asked me a few questions about hot wheels and why I was playing with them. I told him about RLD racing and website and it was something inexpensive that I could do with a crazy unpredictable work schedule and that it was cool.

Fast forward a month or so ago. He came by to visit me on his way home from doctor's office. So I broke out my collection and showed him every car and we talked about it for quite awhile. The next time I saw him he gave me a couple of cars. The next time he gave me a couple more etc..... So as life began taking its toll on my friend....He hasn't been able to work for a year now. He went back twice to work but he kept having relapses and other medical problems (don't want to get into the details here). His company fired him because he can't work. His short term disability has run out, his medical insurance has run out and as you can imagine it is extremely stressful situation by now. Yes I'm getting to point here in a minute...

He called me up last week after having several bad days and is having a better asked me to hang out with him at a function for one of his kids. When we get there he breaks out a bag of 50+ hot wheels that he bought at a garage sale cheap. So we go over every car laugh, talk, dream up whatever the theme of the car is and what not. So yesterday I picked him up and we went to a flea market and a couple of garage sales and loaded up on hot wheels. He was excited to get out of the house and actually enjoy himself and forget about everything going on. He smiled like a kid and we had a great time.

In all of his sickness and health issues he has now caught a thing called redline fever! I was building a six-lane racetrack like LOS's Big Orange but I decided to give it to my friend so he can have a track of his own to start racing. In addition to that I went to HD to look at lumber to build a 2 lane dragstrip but couldn't decide on what width I wanted and the logistics just didn't seem to work out. So I get a text that my neighbor is throwing away a set of bi-fold closet doors. I scooped up the doors and low and behold I think that they will be a good starting point for a 2 lane. The back is super straight and flat, they are lightweight but strong enough and come with 3 free hinges. I think that these will work out great.

The moral of this story is that Hot Wheels has been a good distraction in the life of an everyday hardworking American who has had some tough sleddin' for the last 12-13 months. I am hoping to have his track set up soon and there is a chance that he and I can get a team entry into the race on July 15th if we can get a couple of rice burners tricked out and mailed in on time. We're gonna shoot for it. I've enclosed some photos of the fun that we have been having. Maybe it will inspire someone else who needs their spirits picked up. Cheers, Farmall

This is a garage sale find about 25-30 cars we found yesterdayThese cars were from the flea market finds $4 for all

This is a car that he gave me.