Now 21 year old Shane is a diesel technician at a truck stop in Florida and a good one. Shane won a diesel diagnostic contest in the state of Florida moving on to the southeast contest where he finished 3rd. Shane barely missed going to the United States finals as the top 2 from each region go t that contest.
Shane is not from Florida originally growing up in Michigan. Shane played basketball in high school and with good grades had some division 2 colleges interested in him but preferred working with his hands. Shane as soon as he could took vocational education for diesel mechanics. After high school graduation Shane took a job at a truck stop near his hometown. Two things Shane always hated growing up were cold weather and snow which living in Michigan is not a good combo. Only a few months into working at the truck stop a recruiter for the national chain comes looking for mechanics to relocate to Florida. All of the 5 men and two women besides Shane working are married with children and do not want to uproot their families. Shane has not been at the truck stop the required 1 year to relocate but the recruiter when she finds out he’s interested asks for and receives a special ruling.
Shane prepares for this big move that the company is paying for. Arrangements are made to ship Shane’s tools, car and clothes to Florida. An all electric apartment is rented for Shane with first and last months rent payed as well as the deposits for electric and water which are the only things that have to be turned on. Shane then takes his first airplane flight to Florida and is taken to the apartment already stocked with his clothes and car which is sitting outside. The apartment is furnished but Shane wants to add some personal touches. After working his first week in Florida Shane goes to an auction at a u-store it facility. Some items are being sold together in boxes. In the top of one box Shane spots a phone complete with charger that would be an upgrade from what he has now. When nobody bids Shane says $1 and is the high bidder.
Shane who has Verizon phone service stops at one of the companies stores on his way home from the auction and finds out the phone is no good. As near as the store employees can tell a power surge hit while charging and fried the insides. Shane after getting back to his apartment goes thru the box and finds a pair of black frame glasses. At first Shane thinks these are fake because while in school many of classmates who did not need glasses or wore contacts wore these either the lenses punched out or clear lenses. Shane who at age 12 was prescribed glasses that he never wore thought his classmates were crazy. At age 13 Shane went to a different Optometrist who said he don’t now and probably didn’t need glasses last year. There was the slightest of Astigmatism on one eye but not enough for glasses. Shane puts the glasses on for gags and a funny thing happened. The glasses are a light prescription and Shane can see quite well out of them. Shane having read on the internet that even a person with good vision can see a little better out of low prescription glasses thinks nothing of it. After another week at work Shane goes to have his drivers license and car tags transferred to Florida. Shane has all his documents in order but he struggles and barely passes the eye test. Shane tries driving at night with the found glasses and notices it’s much better. Shane decides it’s time to book an eye exam.
Shane since no one knows him in Florida decides picks an Optometrist from the internet who happens unknown to him is in a Wal-Mart. Shane’s plan after more research is to tell the Dr. that he got his glasses shortly after getting his drivers license in Michigan for night driving. When the prescription is checked and is a -50 in both eyes with no Astigmatism it seems perfectly reasonable. Shane who has not had an eye exam since he was 13 goes to the exam and he is now Myopic. Glasses are prescribed with a prescription of -.75R and -1.00L up from the “night driving” glasses. The Optometrist suspects nothing since the first pair of glasses are what he usually prescribes for someone with good vision who has trouble with night driving. Shane gets 2 pair of glasses one for normal wear and one pair of safety glasses for work. Shane is told as needed especially for night driving and suggested for all driving.
Shane during the week or so it takes for his glasses to come in decides to wear the found glasses full time except for work. Safety glasses are required and side shields will not work on that frame. Shane gets his glasses and after a few weeks time adjusts well to the stronger prescription and is now wearing them full time. Shane as the year goes on continues working doing well but there is one thing he has never told his family. He has kept in contact via text and email but has never mentioned wearing glasses. Shane is not able to visit family until he has been at the truck stop a year and can take vacation that luckily for him occurs in late summer. Shane arranges to fly home for a visit and when his parents pick him up at the airport to say the least are surprised to see him wearing glasses. Shane on the drive home explains how he bought a box of stuff at a you store it and that caused him to find out he needed glasses. Shane has a great visit and then flies back to Florida where he gets his now routine yearly eye exam. The only differences are his right eye is now -1.00 and the slight Astigmatism is added to his left eye. Shane again visits family in Michigan this past summer and when he gets back to Florida his prescription is unchanged.
Shane goes on working except for a week around last Christmas when he gets sick. Diagnosed as a stomach flu it runs the course in a week and Shane feels fine and returns to work. Recently when the Corona virus Shane wonders like many if the actually had that back in December and recovered from it. To be safe Shane has a blood test for Corona and it’s negative. Shane is able to continue working due to being in a critical field having to keeps those 18 wheelers a Rollin.
Note this story is fantasy except for one think. Back in December I had something like the bug I talked about that ran it’s course. I have wondered at times if it was Corona but never had a test and no signs of it such as a fever.