Whether you're just starting your Key Account Management career off, or if you've been in the game for a few years, you should always strive for improvement. After all, the primary goal is to get that promotion and climb the ladder. The best way to improve not only your skills but your abilities is to read industry information and insights on a regular basis.
If you've wanted to read these types of blogs for a while, but just didn't know which Key Account Management blogs were worth your time, we're here to help! Today we'll discuss our ten favorite account management blogs that we read on a regular basis here at the Kapta offices.
You might have checked out the Rain Group's website before when trying to learn more about the account management field. They offer really awesome industry insights, and they specialize in training salespeople to be the best in their field. Their blog is also chock-full of useful information you can use in your daily work. They offer sales tips, new ideas to help attract customers, and so much more. They post on a regular basis (usually once a week), but you have plenty to catch up on in the blog archives if you've never read the blog before.
Account Manager Tips is a site run by Warwick Brown dedicated to bringing account managers and salespeople the tips and tricks they need to exceed their goals and outperform everyone else in the field. The blog posts are geared towards account managers that want to advance their careers, and they have awesome actionable tips you can use easily. Posts are on a semi-frequent basis, but they have a near-perfect batting average when it comes to posting effective articles.
This account management blog is no joke, and if you're into the nitty-gritty details of account management, you definitely need to check out this blog by Ed Powers. Although account management is seen as an art and natural talent to many, there is also a degree of science behind the best practices. All of the posts on this blog take a scientific approach to things like customer health scores, reducing churn, and more. If you really want to step your account management game up and think differently about your job, give it a read.
One of the core aspects of your role as a key account manager is to help your customers grow through customer success. This blog from Jermaine Edwards, professional sales consultant and Key Account Management expert, is packed with awesome blog posts to help you grow your customer base and help them succeed. If you want to learn more about your customers, you should definitely give this blog a read.
Want to see the latest and greatest tips in the sales world? This is the blog for you! SalesLatitude is run by Janice Mars, a professional sales consultant with decades of experience in the field. On the blog, you'll find helpful tips for working with clients, speaking to executives, and more. If you want to succeed in the corporate world and really climb to the top of the ladder, you should give this blog a read.
Want to improve your customers' experience when they work with your organization? The Kia Puhm's KIA CX Consulting blog is for you then! The group specializes in helping companies improve their customer experience through innovative methodology. While they can't share all of their secrets, the blog is full of great articles about customer success and account management in general. They post pretty regularly, so make sure that add it to your feed!
CSO Insights is a research company that aims to improve even the smallest aspects of the B2B sales process. In their research process, they like to share tidbits of information to help account managers and salespeople in their organizations. When you visit the blog, you can learn a lot about customer success, tracking and managing sales goals, and much more. Check it out, and see how their ideas and research could help improve your account management skills.
The Account Management Skills blog covers exactly what you'd imagine; the different skills that account managers need if they want to be successful! It is more geared for beginning account managers, but the valuable tips will help you develop into a budding and successful account management superstar! On the blog, you'll find articles about client development; tips to help you get the most out of each meeting, and more account manager advice with an emphasis on agency work.
Miller Heiman Group is an innovative sales consulting firm that specializes in educating sales teams across different industries find a better focus and align their practices with their organization's goals. They are experts in the field and have even written books on the business of sales. To put it simply, if you want to improve your sales processes and follow the best practices, you need to stay up to date on their blogs.
They offer tips about sales enablement and advice to help you elevate your strategies for better outcomes. Give the blog a read and see how their innovative ideas can change the way you think about sales.
You didn't think that we'd compile a top 10 list of account management blogs without including ourselves, did you? At Kapta, not only do we strive to provide the best Key Account Management platform for B2B sales, but our goal is also to educate account managers across the world as well.
Key Account Management information can seem a little sparse when searching on the web, but our blog is your one-stop shop for the latest KAM tips and tricks. From improving your customer's success to reducing churn rate and optimizing your daily tasks, we cover it all! Stay up to date with the latest from us and add our blog to your feed.
Customer Success is one of the biggest buzzwords floating around the B2B SaaS space today. Yet, it's easily one of the most important elements to the growth of your company. Ensuring that your customers achieve their desired outcome using your product is at the core of Customer Success. When customers succeed as a result of the services and products you provide, they'll continue to be long-time, loyal fans of your brand.
As a key account manager, it's vital that you engage in Customer Success content that is insightful, valuable, and relevant, giving you that competitive edge to deliver amazing service to your clients. Regularly indulging in rich, high-quality blog content keeps you sharp and current on the latest trends that are transforming the way businesses handle Customer Success.
Here are eight Customer Success blogs every key account manager should read to stay on the cutting edge of their business.
CX Journey is the blog of Annette Franz, a customer experience consultant and major thought leader in the world of Customer Success. On her blog, Franz provides some incredible insights into how Customer Success professionals can better serve their customers and constantly improve their experiences.
The personal blog of David Skok, a five-time entrepreneur turned VC, forEntrepreneurs shares in-depth, tactical advice on the key issues startup founders and their teams face in building and growing a successful company. Customer Success is a vital component to startup success so you will find analytical blog posts about the ins and outs of customer acquisition and metrics to help bolster your brand.
The Chief Customer Officer (CCO) Council grew from a need to provide CCOs with the information, resources, and support to help them succeed. However, even if you aren't a CCO, or don't even have a CCO at your company, there is still plenty of valuable information to be found on this blog. Curtis Bingham, the Council's founder and executive director, is a true thought leader in the industry and someone with a lot of insight to share.
Lincoln Murphy, who says, "I think about SaaS Growth and Customer Success way more than you," delivers stellar content on Customer Success, thought leadership, growth strategies. Anything relevant to this topic, you'll find it here!
Listed on Forbes as one of the Top 100 Blogs for Entrepreneurs, SaaStr initially began as a way to share Jason M. Lemkin's strategies for going from $0 to $100M in ARR using a blog, along with answering some questions on Quora. This platform has become one of the largest communities of SaaS founders and entrepreneurs, with over 3 million views per month and 25 million+ views on Quora. Lemkin's straightforward advice and the lessons he has learned from his past startups have proven invaluable to anyone in the SaaS industry. It is indeed an awesome blog to learn more about Customer Success and other topics relevant to startups and SaaS businesses.
Kissmetrics is a SaaS company-focused blog allowing you to optimize your marketing based on metrics. Although this blog centers on delivering insights and interactions to turn visitors into customers, the primary objective of their blog is for companies to learn more about their customers, their goals, and what they're interested in, in order to reduce churn and boost engagement.
You'll discover an abundance of resources on digital marketing, including social media and B2B tactics like using infographics, guides, webinars, and more.
A partner at Redpoint Ventures, a VC firm that invests in startups, Tomasz Tunguz publishes daily, data-driven blog content, many including detailed graphs to explain and analyze sales concepts. His focus is on vital metrics for growth. Although he writes on several different topics surrounding a startup SaaS company, he firmly believes that Customer Success must be a core discipline of any SaaS startup from Day 1. You'll find content tailored to startups that discusses how to ensure Customer Success is a key element of the business model.
Of course we're going to put Kapta on the list! We have tons of great resources for Customer Success and Account Management professionals. From mapping voice of customer to building strategic plans to being more proactive with your customers, you will always find great insights here.
Are there any blogs that we missed that you consider your "go-to" source for Customer Success? Please share in the comments below. We welcome your feedback!


I work in the bus and coach industry. I'm passionate about smarter travel modes and encouraging active travel. I believe that transport industry professionals should use public transport as much as possible in order to understand the needs of their customers. And yet, despite all this, I own and run a car and use it for the majority of my journeys (albeit probably not the majority of my miles traveled because I do a lot of long distance travel by train or coach). But over the past 48 hours, I have experienced an enforced car-free existence whilst said vehicle is in the garage for some minor electrical repairs, and this has led me on a self-reflective voyage of discovery in relation to my travel habits and how well the local bus network meets my mobility needs.
Firstly - I recognise that I appear to be playing the part of the typical motorist, only daring to consider a non-car mode when forced to by circumstance. This isn't quite true, because I do use public transport for some of my journeys, alongside walking and cycling, but certainly the lack of access to a car has led me to use the bus more. My car-free existence started at approximately 09:45 yesterday morning, when I dropped the car off at the garage. Conveniently there is a direct bus from said garage to close to our Loughborough office, which I made use of.
The bus, operated by Wellglade Group operator Kinchbus, was a few minutes late. I was expecting this because I was able to track the bus in real time - very useful. The driver was profusely apologetic, blaming unspecified "problems in the town centre", and this was appreciated; Kinchbus and fellow Wellglade operator Trent Barton drivers are well known for their excellent customer service. The bus was warm and clean, but lacked any of the sparkle or extra amenities that more modern vehicles have because it was quite an elderly vehicle. It was perfectly adequate, however, for a short journey.
The problem with using the bus for this journey is that during the 10 minutes I spent waiting at the bus stop, I could have driven in to work, parked my car, gone into the office and made a cup of tea. Instead, I went nowhere and spent a cold and unproductive ten minutes stood at a shelter-less bus stop. In addition, the fare of £2, whilst standard for a local town service, is uncompetitive with the marginal cost of motoring.
After a circuitous loop through Loughborough's housing estate (which I was quite happy with from an interest point of view, but which also added time to the journey), I got off the bus in sight of the office. So far, so good. Except I couldn't find a direct walking route out of the housing estate where I had got off the bus to the main road on which the office is situated, so I spent a further ten minutes getting my shoes muddy as I walked cross-country over a playing field, crossed a 4 lane dual carriageway and eventually made it to the office via the back entrance.
The remainder of the working day passed with no further need of transport, until the time came to head home. I am lucky to live a 15 minute walk from work, but I confess that despite this, I find myself making the journey by car more often than not. I enjoyed the walk home; I listen to music as I walk and always enjoy seeing my surroundings at a slower pace. Would I want to do it every day? Probably not in the rain, but apart from that there is really no excuse for not walking.
My final journeys of the day took me to Leicester, for a belated Valentine's Day dinner date. Had the car been available, we would have probably used an informal "park and ride" arrangement involving driving to somewhere in Loughborough where we could catch Kinchbus' Skylink service, which runs non-stop from Loughborough to Leicester. As it was, we instead took Arriva's 127 service from just outside our house - double the journey time but much more convenient.
I was unsure of the fare, so took three £5 notes with me and a couple of pound coins. The bus driver was friendly and, in response to my query about the best fare option, informed us that because it was the school holidays (I hadn't realised), we were travelling there and back together (assuming the date wasn't a total disaster!), we would be returning before midnight (not that there are any buses back after midnight) and there was a full moon (OK not this one), he could sell us a ZonePlus Family Day Saver for £7.00.
This was a good value fare; probably cheaper than fuel and parking would have been had we driven to Leicester, and far more cost effective than taxis. However, at no point in the three and a half years that I have lived along this route have I seen any printed or digital media advertising these good value prices, and nor is there any fare information on bus stop posters. This is a missed opportunity to promote good value leisure travel in an area that is full of students and lower income families; very much a demographic in which additional travel demand can be induced by attractive fares.
I feel unqualified to comment on the journey itself, because I was happy sat at the front of the double decker bus. However, my girlfriend, who has no connection with the bus industry whatsoever, commented on the bumpy ride as the vehicle negotiated speedbumps, and unfortunately the return journey was soured by a passenger using extremely offensive language during a telephone call - only once, but once would have been enough, I suspect, had a family taking advantage of the discounted ticket been present, to deter the parents from potentially exposing their children to such behaviour.
So, overall a good experience of using buses, with drivers leaving a positive impression but work for management to do in ensuring that bus travel offers an attractive journey experience. In a later post I'll discuss some of these factors more in terms of how a small town's bus network should look - but for now, I have the choice of a 15 minute walk home through deserted streets late at night, or a 5 minute walk at each end and a 3 minute bus journey in between. Let's see what happens…!
Demand Responsive Transport, or DRT, is the buzzword of the moment. Everybody in the bus industry is talking about it, and we've seen a huge influx of investment to fund various forms of DRT scheme. Falling bus ridership, limited public funding and an ever growing culture of immediacy have created the perfect set of conditions for DRT, whilst ever evolving technology looks set to provide the means to deliver it. But at Vectare, where we've been doing extensive strategic work on DRT, we've found a big issue with the implementation of DRT – nobody seems to know what their target demographic is! In the coming months we'll be revealing more about what we've been working on, so you can expect big things, but for now take a look at what Dominic Kalantary, Director of Vectare, has to say.
I was concerned today to read about Rural England research which has found that three fifths of young people in rural areas of England lack adequate public transport to get to secondary school. The report, entitled The State of Rural Services, goes on to say that the lack of public transport is harming educational opportunities for young people. It is obvious that where public transport does not allow pupils to get to and from school, either because bus routes and timetables do not coincide with school start and finish times or simply because there is no bus at all, pupils will be reliant on their parents driving them to school.
This increases congestion at one of the busiest times of day for our road network and increases risk outside schools as parents drop off and pick up their children, but more concerning is the fact that any child whose parents cannot access a car will find their educational opportunities significantly restricted.
Local Authorities do of course have some statutory transport obligations in relation to home to school transport, but many pupils do not qualify for this. In any event, the problem is not so much the lack of access to any school but the fact that a lack of transport prevents parents from choosing the school that will be the best for their child.
One option is for schools to consider working with the transport industry to investigate what services could be provided to improve accessibility for prospective pupils. A school bus network and travel planning advice about public bus services that serve a school are both valuable tools to increase the catchment area of a school, and parents really value high quality information which is personalised to them.
My team is responsible for undertaking transport audits at schools across the UK, and we offer these free of charge in order to help schools become more accessible. If you would like to widen your potential market, please do get in touch. We would be very happy to assess the transport provision that you are offering at the moment, and make recommendations as to how you can improve.
Quite a line up in Stamford bus station, with two CallConnect minibuses, a double deck school bus from Mark Bland Travel (formerly with Happy Al's as per the upper deck window!), a Centrebus Optare Solo on route 12 and three high specification National Holidays touring coaches. This image contains such a variety of vehicle types, commercial arrangements and operating practices, making it clear just how broad the spectrum of demand catered for by the bus and coach industry is.
Today I took a lengthy but enjoyable journey from Loughborough to Nottingham, travelling via Leicester, Uppingham and Stamford, with a diversion to Bourne as well. The purpose of the journey was to gain a deeper understanding of the extent and quality of rural bus provision that residents in these areas are experiencing, and the overall conclusion that I drew was that service quality was very dependent on who was operating the service.
I was pleased to travel on the 747 from Leicester to Uppingham that I blogged about during the latter part of last year - although I had used the service before it was the first time that I had made use of it since it was threatened with withdrawal. The bus was clean, modern and comfortable, with leather seats and a friendly driver, but some of the roads he drove along were very tight for a scheduled bus service. The bus was by no means busy but a number of passengers made use of the service.
From Uppingham I travelled to Stamford on service 12, operated by an Optare Solo and again transporting a modest but not negligible number of people. We certainly took what could be described as a scenic route, evidenced by the number of road signs I saw indicating that the route we were taking was at points the way back to Uppingham! Passengers of all ages were travelling, and it is clear that for a non-driver the service acts as a lifeline.
From Stamford I went to Bourne and back with Delaine Buses, who offered an exceptional standard of service for a relatively rural route. The bus, which starts in Peterborough and runs via Stamford on its way to Bourne, runs hourly, and I travelled on two different extremely smartly turned out vehicles. Both drivers were polite and helpful and I observed the best loadings that I had seen all day.
My inward journey to Nottingham made use of the Centrebus Five Counties service, so named because it passes through five counties on its two hour, 50 minute journey from Peterborough to Nottingham. Loadings were again good here, with the benefit of a reliable hourly service throughout the main part of the day clear to see, but it is a shame to see a lack of early morning, evening and Sunday journeys. I also felt very sorry for a passenger who missed the bus because she was on the wrong side of the road - she waved frantically at the driver but not unreasonably he did not see her in time to stop safely when travelling at 40mph.
I was pleased to discover well-used, high quality bus services operating across rural, and potentially quite challenging, bus operating territory. Without exception I encountered polite, friendly, helpful bus drivers, who drove carefully and with passenger comfort in mind. There is no doubt in my mind that if you offer good standards of service, it will pay dividends in terms of increased passenger numbers. It is very satisfying to go out and travel on buses and see this theory reflected in reality.
Who's behind the wheel of your vehicles?
Any vehicle that is designed to convey more than 8 passengers needs to be operated under a PSV O Licence if you want to make a profit from the service. This includes minibuses which might be sent in place of taxis without the customer's knowledge.
Minibuses have been in the news today following reports from the Local Government Association that some taxi drivers are taking advantage of the differing regulatory systems that apply to vehicles with up to and over 8 passenger seats. Taxi drivers (driving vehicles carrying up to 8 passengers) must undergo an enhanced criminal records check with the Disclosure and Barring Service as part of the Local Authority licencing process, but no such requirement exists for drivers of vehicles carrying 9 or more passengers. Some contracts do specify that these drivers need to be DBS checked, but there is no overarching legal requirement for employers to perform the checks because drivers of such vehicles are treated as bus or coach drivers.
In contrast to larger buses or coaches however, minibuses are often sent in place of taxis where operational convenience dictates that this is the most efficient option. There is no fundamental problem with this, but it means that there is a risk of vulnerable passengers (such as schoolchildren) who are expecting a DBS checked driver being transported by a driver who has not had a criminal records check.
It is also worth recognising that for a minibus to be operating legally, the driver must have a category D or D1 driving licence, and they must complete regular training to ensure that they are driving in a safe and professional manner. In addition, their employer must hold a government-issued Operators Licence, and the vehicles must usually be operated under the supervision of a qualified Transport Manager.
There is a considerable quantity of legislation surrounding the transport of passengers for profit in vehicles of all sizes, and it is essential for the safety of the public that operators comply. If you are responsible for purchasing transport services and you are concerned about one or more of your suppliers, or you would simply like the peace of mind that a compliance audit gives you, our compliance and surveying services are likely to be of interest. Please do get in touch with myself directly, or one of our team, to discuss things further.
Centrebus operate a large network of rural and urban bus services across Leicestershire, Rutland and Lincolnshire. However, as patronage declines and government subsidies fall further, much of their network may be under threat.
I am pleased to say that further to my post below, a temporary reprieve has been granted to the 747 bus service. Leicestershire County Council and Rutland County Council will each contribute £40,000 and £20,000 respectively to make up the £60,000 in subsidy that Centrebus require to continue operating the service for another year. The subsidy secures the service at its current frequency until January 2018, and local people are expected to work in partnership with Centrebus (and other operators) with the aim of devising a long-term strategy for operating the route on a commercially sustainable basis.
Whilst this update is positive news in the short term, the uncertainty over the future of the route will not be conducive to generating new growth going forward. As a non-car user seeking to relocate to Leicester I would not be searching for houses along the A47 corridor, and if I was a regular user of the service I would probably start to actively seek alternatives. Local Authorities and bus operators must understand that for a bus service to be successful the provision of a service alone is not enough; current and prospective passengers must be confident that they can rely on the service in the medium to long term. Otherwise we will continue to see bus usage decline along these important but low-density interurban corridors.
Concerns have been raised in part of rural Leicestershire this week after local bus operator Centrebus announced that their 747 bus service (Leicester to Uppingham via the A47) will be withdrawn from early January next year. The service is the only link between the town of Uppingham (population 5,000) and Leicester, and the majority of villages it serves do not have any other bus services. This means that its withdrawal will leave a significant gap in that part of Leicestershire's public transport network, rendering a number of people isolated in their villages.
This is merely a local example of a concerning national trend, which has been ongoing for many years. The continual reduction in service levels in rural areas and along interurban corridors has been occurring since well before the bus industry was deregulated in 1986, but now that entire communities who live on strategic A-roads are at risk of being left with no bus service the problem has become even more severe.
What is clear is that for some areas the current method of providing rural public transport is not able to meet the needs of local stakeholders whilst also being financially sustainable. Fixed route, scheduled services offer customers certainty on when they will be able to travel, and permit a turn-up-and-go approach to travel (albeit not at typical turn-up-and-go frequencies in rural areas), whereas Demand Responsive Transport services require pre-booking but do offer scope for flexible scheduling and routing, delivering improved vehicle utilisation and increased accessibility.
With continual improvements in technology, I can see a time when the majority of rural transport will be provided through a demand-responsive model, with transport supply meeting the volume and type of transport demand as closely as technically and economically possible. For now, though, we must watch this space and hope that communities along the route of the 747 are successful in persuading their elected representatives to subsidise an alternative bus service.
Encouraging the younger generation to get involved in the transport sector isn't easy, but when younger people do engage they offer fresh thinking, creative innovation and a comprehensive understanding of the latest technological and digital trends.
Today I went to hear Chris Grayling, our Secretary of State for Transport, speaking at the Conservative Party Conference in Birmingham. He said a considerable amount, highlighting the significant improvements to transport that have been delivered under Conservative administrations, but I was particularly pleased to hear him highlighting the transport industry as a great place for young people considering careers to work in.
It is certainly true that the transport industry needs more young people, who will embrace the cutting-edge technology which has the capability to revolutionise our industry. We need younger management teams, but we also want younger front line staff; 29% of bus and coach drivers are at least 60 years old. There is a wealth of experience in these career busmen and women, and it is vital that this is imparted to the next generation whilst it is still available.
Here at Vectare, we are certainly ahead of the curve when it comes to engaging with young people. Myself and Peter are of course fairly young ourselves, and we actively recruit the brightest and best straight from school and university. Indeed, some of our employees are still in education when they start to work for us, and this furnishes them with vital experience that they can call upon when applying for full time jobs later in their careers. It is certainly pleasing that the UK's top transport man agrees with, and advocates, our strategy.


PLEASE REMEMBER, STUDENT WILL ONLY BE CONFIRM FOR A CLASS IF ALL THE ABOVE REQUIREMENTS ARE MET INCLUDING THE INITIAL OR FULL PAYMENT OF THE TUITION ARE RECEIVED BY THE SCHOOL.
NOTE: PAYMENT OF REGISTRATION FEE WILL NOT GUARANTEE STUDENT A SPOT IN THE PROGRAM.
Uniform and Shoe for Clinical : Set of NAVY BLUE (pant and top) Student will purchase uniform from outside the school.
TB skin test (require before admission) : $20.00 at the school or from your doctor's office.
Drug Test (require before admission) : $40.00 at the school or form your doctor's office.
Background check (require before admission) : $40.00 at the school or from the police/sheriff's department.


Gianni Versace's dramatic and random murder over 20 years ago on the steps of his Miami home continues to capture public attention in continuous movie, TV and pop culture references.
The Italian fashion impresario changed the face of high fashion and became a symbol of popular culture, dressing 90's icons like Diana, Princess of Wales, linking the music and fashion worlds in his association with Cher, Sting, and Elton John, as well as breaking new ground as openly gay, accompanied by his partner on the international party scene.
There are two Versace branded hotels in the world, and a third on the way. The first Versace hotel is on Australia's beach holiday destination, the Gold Coast. Its founders call it the world's first fashion-inspired hotel.
Dubai's epic extravagance mirrors the Versace opulence, so it's no wonder that the second Palazzo Versace was built in this extraordinary city.
The Regent Seven Seas Explorer has been called The Most Luxurious Ship at sea, and its designers also tapped into Versace's unmistakable iconic style for the ship's signature restaurant, Compass Rose.


text:
The Car Was Blue: A Father's Day Story
This is a true story, which I'm sharing in honor of all the dads who work so hard, and love so much.
It was late on a June evening, but the sky was still light. I was sitting with a writing chum outside of Starbucks, sipping decaf and talking over the triumphs and trials of the writing life. A car pulled into the parking lot – or, for proper dramatic effect, I should say that it roared in, because it sounded like a lion getting ready to charge across the plains in pursuit of a nice, juicy antelope.
Naturally, my friend and I both turned to watch where the car was going, and whom it might try to eat when it arrived at its destination. But it pulled politely into a parking space, and gave one final growl before the engine shut off.
It was an older vehicle, circa 1970-something, and it was a bright royal blue, almost turquoise. My friend, Elizabeth, wondered out loud what kind of car it was – maybe a Chevy? I'm hopeless about car models, and I said so. After a few seconds of speculation, we returned to our conversation.
The driver appeared, opened the hood, and disappeared from view again. He was in his mid-thirties, heavyset. He wore suspenders and moved around the car with confidence. At some point a little boy, not much taller than the trunk of the car, popped into view. Apparently he was the junior mechanic. He stood behind the vehicle, with one hand on the body, and watched the tail lights.
"Yours on!" he called, when the tail light on the driver's side lit up. Then: "Both on!" when two lights flashed red.
Daylight became twilight, and twilight became night, and they were still hard at work. Five minutes before Starbucks closed, I was struck by an impulse to bring the man a cup of coffee, and a hot chocolate for his little boy. It was pretty late by then, and it seemed like refreshments might be appreciated. So, armed with cocoa, coffee and condiments, Elizabeth and I crossed the parking lot.
The little boy saw us first, and his face was illuminated by the friendly-but-wary expression of a child who has been properly schooled in stranger danger. "Dad!" he called, keeping his eyes on us.
The driver was kneeling on the asphalt, his head and shoulders wedged under the steering wheel.
"Excuse us," I said, trying to be loud enough for audibility, but not so loud as to cause alarm.
The man extricated himself from the car, and stood up to greet us. I held out the tray and told him why we were there. He was surprised and appreciative. He took the tray and set it carefully on the trunk, promising they would enjoy the drinks when their work was done.
"Bennett, say 'thank you,'" he told his son.
"Thank you!" Bennett chirped, his eye fixed on the cups. He was a cute little guy: bright smile, lively expression. He did not seem the least bit dismayed by being out so late at night.
He pointed at the car. "This is a racing car!" he announced proudly.
His father looked abashed. "I'm sure you could tell by the noise when we pulled in," he said. "I'm still adjusting the [name of auto part which went completely over this writer's head]."
Elizabeth and I assured him that the sound wasn't so bad, and that the car was a real eye-catcher.
"Actually," the father told us, "I have bought and sold this car three or four times." He paused, then added: "I'm an addict. Sixteen months sober."
I don't remember how either Elizabeth or I replied to that statement, or if we said anything at all. I do recall thinking, This just got intense. We had brought over the drinks with spur-of-the-moment Good Samaritanism, not really thinking past the pleasant notion that a hardworking man would get a cup of coffee when he might need it. But suddenly, things seemed very deep.
And they were about to get deeper. "Over the years," the man said, "I've sold this car and gotten it back again a bunch of times. When I hit bottom, I lost everything: my kids, two houses, my cars. On the day I got out of rehab, I had three goals in my mind: get my kids back, get a good place to live, and get my cars back. It's taken me a long time, but I did it."
The man looked at his child, and at the same time, his hand dropped onto the hood of the car. It was a small moment, but powerful. Past, present, and future wove together and unfurled outward into the night, and forward in time. I saw the car as something that the man had loved in his youth, perhaps during the final years of his own boyhood; and Bennett, his son, was that spark of promise for the future.
Of course, it's difficult to say what the next few years would bring for them. Every life is an uncharted road, and addiction is a fierce adversary. But for the time being, in that moment, this ordinary-looking man had done something heroic: he had bested his demon, and reclaimed his family.
Bennett broke the spell. He ambled over to the car and tapped on the back passenger window. "My car seat is back there," he told us. "But you can't see it because the window has tint!"
We smiled and acknowledged the surpassing awesomeness of the tinted windows.
Elizabeth and I took our leave soon after that. The man said that he just had to replace a fuse, and that they would be heading home, as well. He thanked us again for the drinks, reminded his son to keep one hand on the car at all times, and then got back to his task.
Before we drove away, I took a last look. Bennett's smile was shining through the night. The car was glinting like a sapphire in the streetlamp. And in between, the father was under the steering wheel, working hard to make everything go right.
Heroes come in all shapes, sizes, ages and guises. For all the fathers who are fighting everyday battles to make a better life for their families, we say: Thank You!
Categories: Life•Tags: children, family, father's day, writing, writing buddy•
2 thoughts on "The Car Was Blue: A Father's Day Story"
E. Ayers says:
He was one of those characters who will stay with us. You had a quirky, idea on a night that had cooled almost to the point of needing a sweater to take someone a cup of coffee, because they might be stuck in that parking lot for more than a few more minutes. And in return, he renewed our faith in people, and what they can do when they are determined to succeed.
And to watch that little boy who looked at his father with total adoration made it even better. It wasn't what was in the father's past, but what was in his future, and his future was that little boy. The bonds that were formed over a very blue car will hopefully last that little guy for his entire life.
Misha Crews says:
Well said! 😊💜
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By default, the tool uses the highest available quality for the best sound. Unless we tell you otherwise, upon any termination, a the rights and licenses granted to you in these terms will end; b you must stop using the app, and if needed delete it from your device. Choice of format is still your preference. If you are a copyright owner of any content shown on this app, and you have not authorized the use of content, please contact us at contact freetowatchmovies. Format wählen, umwandeln und dann downloaden. Alternativ kannst du auch über unsere Seite nach einem Video auf YouTube suchen, dazu einfach den Videotitel in das untere Feld eingeben. For example, Chris Brown - Turn up the Music.
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All media content is provided by YouTube services which have no connection to Prospera Software, Inc. All media content is provided by YouTube services which have no connection to Prospera Software, Inc. We therefore recommend that you do not jailbreak or root your phone, which is the process of removing software restrictions and limitations imposed by the official operating system of your device. Mit der Verwendung unseres Services akzeptierst du unsere So einfach gehts: Suche ein Video, dass du umwandeln möchtest z. The difference is in the button. If you are a copyright owner of any content shown on this app, and you have not authorized the use of content, please contact us at contact freetowatchmovies.
First search for the video by simply typing the name of the video in the search bar and then begin the download process. YouTube music downloader supports hashtags search. However, you promise to always accept updates to the application when offered to you, We may also wish to stop providing the app, and may terminate use of it at any time without giving notice of termination to you. You should be aware that there are certain things that Prospera Software, Inc. As a result, you may be charged by your mobile provider for the cost of data for the duration of the connection while accessing the app, or other third party charges.
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It can be saved offline and accessed from anywhere. Unless we tell you otherwise, upon any termination, a the rights and licenses granted to you in these terms will end; b you must stop using the app, and if needed delete it from your device. You should be aware that there are certain things that Prospera Software, Inc. Learn also how to download and do the same way to export downloaded songs. You can use the program whenever you want all downloads will be free after you confirm the license. A pattern will be similar to the first method.