It Really is a Wonderful Life

The movie's message was clear:

Look at the lives you've touched with your own life. You may not believe it, but you've made some people's lives better, simply by being you. It took showing George Bailey what life would be like without him for George to understand how truly important he was.

I hope the two men working at a used car lot in Bismarck, North Dakota, realize the difference they've made in one man's life, and, by extension, the lives of many others.

The Bismarck Tribune has the story of Brian Hardie, a starving artist who barely made it to Bismarck in his dying car. Brian was trying to make it from Vancouver, BC, to Toronto, Ontario, to help care for his sick mother. Brian was in the middle of what he called a "heart of darkness" trip. Short days, bitter cold, icy roads, howling winds, etc.

After some car repairs in a small Montana town, he ended up stranded on Interstate 94 outside Bismarck without a car heater, his car stalled, feeling his hands and feet grow more numb and cold by the minute. His chances of ever making it home to his mother seemed even colder.

That was Dec. 8. It was his 50th birthday, and there was little to celebrate.

Luckily, Brian got the car going again, and made it as far as the Hampton Suites Hotel, where he said some outstanding employees gave him the best rate they could while he waited for his vehicle to be repaired Monday morning.

Monday arrived, and Brian headed to a car dealership. After an inspection of his car, Brian was told his 1990 Honda needed multiple repairs, would be there for several days, and would cost him around $2000. Keep in mind that Brian only paid $1000 for the Honda to begin with.

How did Brian feel?

“I was really in dire straits, cold, shivering. My car was filled with my things and I didn’t know if I could even get everything on a bus,” Hardie said.

He went into the showroom to warm up and contemplate his options, which seemed somewhere between few and none.

This is where the whole "It's a Wonderful Life" dynamic kicks in.

A salesman came up, pointed out the window, and asked how he'd like that 1998 Toyota Camry sitting in the lot.

Hardie explained that he barely had two dimes to rub together, much less money to buy another car.

“No, no, we're giving it to you,” Hardie was told.

“I thought he was joking,” Hardie said.

Except he wasn't joking. It wasn't long before Brian had the car, the title to the car, and the keys. The salesman even thumped the roof of the car for good luck before waving farewell to Brian. Sounds too good to be true, right? Nobody does something like that, do they? Probably looking for some good PR and free advertising. Nope.

The dealer asked not to be identified and both he and the salesman said they didn’t help Hardie for publicity or recognition of any kind. The dealership’s employees don’t even know, he said.

The dealer said when the salesman explained Hardie’s plight, wondering about giving him the Camry out on the lot, his instant response was, “Absolutely. Let’s do the right thing.” Done deal.

As for Brian, by Thursday night he was in Toronto at his mother's side. He did, however, have to explain himself to guards at the border.

“I told them the story and after they heard it, they put the car value very low so I didn't have to pay any importation tax,” Hardie said.

So, what started as a "heart of darkness trip" turned out to be an amazing adventure. Brian sums it up this way: