Posted on 12/10/2014 10:30:13 AM PST by Brother Cracker
BRANSON, Mo. -- The story of a unique tip given to a waitress in Branson has not only caught the attention of the community, but thousands of people on social media.
Cindi Grady is a waitress at Cracker Barrel, and while people tend to be a bit more generous around the holidays she says a gift she recently received came at the perfect time.
"I was in a spot where I was depressed," says Grady, "Just feeling like nobody cares, it's very different now."
Grady says she loves her job, it's just that getting to work was a bit of a problem.
"It runs pretty good," says Grady, "[It's just] the cosmetic stuff is falling apart, the deer really got to it."
Grady says she has hit five deer with her car.
Little did Grady know some regulars at the Branson restaurant, a couple from Arkansas, had noticed Grady's car in the parking lot a few months back.
"I thought it was abandoned actually, it was in such bad shape," says Arkansas resident Gary Tackett, "Come back the next trip, and that car was still sitting in the parking lot."
Tackett and his wife had only meet Grady in passing, so they started asking around the restaurant about the owner of the car. They soon learned it was the car of an employee.
"I talked with my wife about it," says Tackett, "And I said, 'something has to be done.'"
With just weeks left before Christmas, the Tackett's made anther trip back to the restaurant. After being waited on by Grady, they decided to unveil the tip of a lifetime.
"It's not new, but it's new to you," says Tackett in a video taken on his daughter's cell phone.
The video has taken over Facebook, something the Tacketts say they never wanted. Gary Tackett and his wife say they simply wanted to take care of someone because they could.
"It's all about what's in your heart," says Tackett, ""I know Cindi said it was her best Christmas ever, and I can assure you it's ours."
"It restored my faith in humanity," says Grady, "And everyone I talked to says the same thing."
While the Tackett's gift may be what catches people's attention, Grady hopes that those who see the story take away something else.
"There are good people in this world that are watching" says Grady, "And you may not even know them."
After seeing what deer were capable of doing to her old car, Grady says the first thing she did to her new car was put deer whistles on it.
She says the story has also had a domino effect with the community. Grady says she was able to get her insurance transferred for free, and her first inspection was free.
My old man is a television repairman, he’s got this ultimate set of tools. I can fix it.
Can’t they get those deer to cross at the crossing like they are supposed to??? ;)
“The chances of you hitting 5 deer is pretty remote unless she ran into a herd. She needs to buy a lottery ticket.
‘
My thought also, but she must be aiming for the deer.
Sorry, rant off. Good on that waitress, everybody down here could use a break sometimes. Be sure to claim it as a gift, so it won't get taxed.
Back in the 90’s my dad lived a little south and west of Branson and bought a trailer and lot as an investment and “lake” home for when he left. He rented to a family that turned out not to be legal. They both worked at a chicken processing plant owned by a family very tight with the Clinton's. He drove by one day and was concerned that they were not at work; hoping nothing bad had happened. they told him that the foreman had called and told them to stay home because the INS was doing a “surprise” stop by at the plant.
My dad asked them once how they got a job w/o a ss#. They said that at least 50 people at the plant used the same name and ss#. The company was taking ss, state, and fed tax out of their pay but I doubt they were turning in all that deducted $ from 1 ss#.
That's why the chamber of commerce wants amnesty.
I live in Wyoming and the chances of hitting deer, antelope, and even bison are pretty good especially if you drive at night. My solution is I don’t drive at night.
Around here it seems like the deer aim for YOU. You’ll see a couple standing in the ditch waaaaay up there. And they wait. And wait. And then launch themselves right into your vehicle like some crazy (rein)deer game! (Do deer play chicken?) “Now, Larry, now... go, go, go!”
Okay, I don’t know for sure that his name was Larry. It could have been an alias.
The in-laws told me the Mexicans in the chicken processing plants got displaced by Muzzies from Africa and now they’re on welfare.
The chances of you hitting 5 deer is pretty remote unless she ran into a herd.
The way I interpret this, she has had separate collisions, not a one time event.
Thanks.
Does she have to pay taxes on the new vehicle¿
Tips are indeed taxable - poor gal is going to rue the day that this was publicized :(
About 40 years ago I visited my aunt and uncle in Springdale Arkansas. My cousins got me in the car and we went on a back road trip up into the Ozarks. It looked like Deliveramce up there. I’ve been back there quite a few times since then and it’s better but you get on some of the back roads and it’s still visible.
By these standards my 99 Tahoe is a disaster and 10 times worse cosmetically - but I refuse to get rid of it because mechanically its a friggin animal
Now the area around Bentonville looks great.
“Evil” WalMart has done a nice job of building prosperity there.
You’ll find that car in the dictionary under “Hoopty.” Glad some people are generous.
I have cousins that live in Siloam Springs and Rogers. I visit them twice a year. One of the cousins volunteers for a program that is federally funded called CARE. They get a lot of their stuff from food banks and donations from the big boys...Walmart, Tyson, Lazy Boy, etc. he told me there is absolutely no reason for anyone to go hungry in the area. They are overrun with donations.
I had to look to see if my car was still in the drive.
Looks like a car I used to have. hit a few deer with it and cusomized the side with the deer with the red ‘x’s over them-like WW2 fighter planes had after winning dog fights.
ahahh good idea
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.