I don't always make the right decision. And I've learned—that's okay.
There's this idea that if you're disciplined, if you work hard, if you try to do things the right way… everything should go smooth. Clean. Predictable. But life doesn't work like that. Sometimes you do everything right—and it still goes sideways.
I had a Vortech supercharger. Not a small purchase. Not something you just forget about. I shipped it out through FedEx to Vortech—no issues. Clean. Professional. Exactly how it should be.
They did their part, turned it around, and sent it back.
That's where things went wrong. They shipped it back in a Vortech-branded box. Now anyone with a phone and five seconds can figure out what that is. You don't need to be an expert to know it's expensive. It might as well have had a sign on it that said, "Steal me."
And then it disappeared.
Tracking showed it sitting at a local distribution center. Not moving. Not updating. Just… stuck. Days turned into weeks. I called. I showed up. I asked questions. Nothing. "It's in the system." "It'll move." "There's nothing we can do."
Meanwhile, I had an Apple AirTag in the box. I could see where it was. I knew it hadn't been delivered. I knew something wasn't right.
Didn't matter. Because once it's in that system, getting someone to actually act is a different story.
Six weeks. Six weeks of knowing exactly where my package was—and being told nothing could be done.
That's where patience ran out.
Now—was what I did next the "right" move? Depends who you ask.
I went down to the distribution facility and blocked traffic. Not forever. Not reckless. But enough to get attention. Enough to stop being ignored. Because at that point, I wasn't dealing with a system anymore. I was dealing with people. And I needed someone to look.
Eventually, I got in front of the right guy. Gave him the tracking number. Told him exactly what was going on. He disappeared inside. Came back out—with my box. Just like that.
Six weeks of "nothing we can do"… solved in minutes.
I got a ticket for blocking traffic. And that's okay. Because I also got my supercharger back—for my Ford Cobra.
And more importantly, I got a reminder: You can do things the right way… and still have to fight for what's yours. You can stay patient… until patience stops working. And sometimes, the decision you make won't be perfect. It won't be polished. It won't be something you'd put in a handbook.
But it gets the job done.
I'm not saying that's the model. I'm saying that's reality.
I don't always make the right choice. But I show up. I take ownership. And when something matters—I don't just let it go.
And sometimes, that makes all the difference.