I’ve been bugging my husband to buy a new car – yes, bugging him. His truck has over 190,000 miles on it and the truth is, I’m tired of having to ride in it up to Robbinston. (We need it up there to transport the kayaks.) But he’s happy with his truck and wants to wait to buy something new. Last year we went through the exact same thing and he wouldn’t do it then either. I argue that I’m tired of bouncing up to Robbinston, that the truck is on its last leg and that he’d really love having a car that would fit into the garage in the winter. Nothing seems to convince him.
Then I stopped to think, why do “I” care so much. What is this really about? What’s the underlying my need for him to buy a new vehicle? And then it came to me. My father was a Chevrolet dealer in Wisconsin. One of the exciting events I remember as a child was the arrival of the new car models. The cars would arrive at the dealership fully wrapped and then would be spirited away to our garage at home (and other hiding places). All the windows in the garage would be covered with paper so no one would see them until the big unveiling. It was exciting to see them before everyone else did and to be privy to this exciting event!
I’m been trying to recreate the excitement of those times! I wonder how many new cars I have purchased at this time of year—wouldn’t surprise me if all of them were. The good news? Now that I know what my motive is, I can quit bugging my husband—it’s his decision, not mine.
Peace again at home. Life is real.