Rant #1,751: Good Fortune

I had an interesting lunch break yesterday afternoon.

After toiling at work in the morning--right now, I feel as if I live at my place of business, which is not a good feeling--I ventured out to the AutoWorld Kia dealership on Hempstead Turnpike, East Meadow, Long Island, New York, where I have purchased my cars, the dealership that is my "home" dealership for the contest that I was one of the winners of.

(Yes, I bet that not too many of us can use the word "dealership" three times in one sentence, but I proved that it can be done. Clumsy, but OK.)

The manager of the dealership had called me at home during the workday to tell me that they wanted to make a presentation to me for winning the contest and having them as my home dealership, I called them back when I got home from work, and left a message.

The call was returned late Tuesday night, and we made a date for about 12:45 p.m. yesterday to get it all done.

I left work at lunchtime, went straight to the dealership, and within a couple of minutes, I was put on a high that I haven't been on in a long time.

I met the dealership manager and another executive, and the photo op began.

During the presentation, I was given a nice trophy noting my accomplishments as a loyal customer, and I was also given some other gifts that will come in handy both when my wife and I are in Seoul and when we come home.

I also had a chance to relate my story once again, and with this contest win, I basically turned coal into diamonds, lemon into lemonade.

The photos were taken, they are up on the Internet and were being sent to Kia's corporate headquarters, and that was that.

So for about 10 minutes, I felt like I was on Cloud Nine, only coming down to the ground as I was driving back to work and realized that my workday was far from done.

Kia's "Loyalty Has Its Rewards" contest is a very big thing for the automaker, and I recently found out that there are actually two legs to the event, one happening this week, the next when my wife and I will be honored in two weeks.

The car maker sells its cars all over the world, and they honor winners in countries that they sell their cars in.

Thus, the first leg of the tour features winners from much of the Middle East, the Philippines and some other places, while my leg of the event features winners from the United States, Israel and some other places.

Yes, Kia knows not to mix people from certain countries with others, because everything has to be copacetic.

Anyway, my wife and I are off to Seoul--from New York to Los Angeles and then to Seoul--next weekend, and we are greatly looking forward to it.

What we have seen from those already there has been absolutely fantastic, and we are looking forward to a great couple of days on the other side of the world.

We will always have those memories, and I will always have my trophy to remind me how lucky, and fortunate, I was, from beginning to end, related to what happened and my good fortune in winning this contest.

Yes, right now, I am feeling like the luckiest guy on the face of the earth.

Unfortunately, that feeling will only be temporary, as within due time, I have to go to work, but it is nice to think that, even for a few moments.