One of my all-time favorite parables that are not in the bible.  Credit Mr. Bob Brady. Of Bob Brady Auto Mall Empire and Byrider Decatur & Springfield, IL.  He shared this with me in my Freshman year as the Sales Manager of Bob Brady Dodge.  It has so much in it that it can be re-read often for different insights.  The most important being most often quit listening to all the fear mongers, the “book smart” wannabes, or the nay Sayers as they all have the capability of paralyzing even the greatest of leaders and followers.  How many times have we ignored our “gut feeling” and lived to regret it?  Even in the toughest of times, there will always be businesses and dealerships that grow and thrive in size and profit.  My bet is not on the ones who crawl into a cave and shutter the place while they wait out the worst of storms.  When we steer into our obstacles we can overcome them much faster and more efficiently than the cost of avoiding them.  I hope you enjoy this one as much as I do.   -Terry MacCauley

Parable of “The Man Who Sold Hot Dogs”
There was a man who lived by the side of the road and sold hot dogs.
He was hard of hearing so he had no radio.
He had trouble with his eyes so he read no newspapers.
But he sold good hot dogs.
He put up signs on the highway telling how good they were.
He stood on the side of the road and cried; “buy a hot dog, mister?
And people bought it.
He increased his meat and bun orders.
He bought a bigger stove to take care of his trade.
He finally got his son home from college to help him out.
But then something happened.
His son said, “Father, haven’t you been listening to the radio?
Haven’t you been reading the newspapers?
There’s a big depression.
The European situation is terrible.
The domestic situation is worse.”
Whereupon the father thought, “well, my son’s been to college, he reads the papers and he listens to the radio, and he ought to know.”
So the father cut down on his meat and bun orders, took down his advertising signs, and no longer bothered to stand out on the highway to sell his hot dogs.
And his hot dog sales fell almost overnight.
“You’re right, son,” the father said to the boy.
“We certainly are in the middle of a great depression.”
-Author Unknown