The Other Car Talk

This is a reprint of a newspaper column I wrote back in 2014, when our two youngest children were still at home. I think they feel the same way today.

Reality has stricken. There is a definite gap between my husband’s and my thinking and that of our children. Nowhere has it become more apparent than in our recent choice of cars.

After our car was totaled, we tossed around ideas for a replacement.

“I think we need a four-wheel-drive pickup truck,” offered our teenage son. “We could haul things in it.”

At this point dollar signs began sailing out my husband’s brain.

He was thinking miles per gallon, plus our son’s heavy foot on the gas pedal.

“I’m not sure that would be a good choice,” I countered. “Do you know how much we’d be paying for your dad to commute to work? He would have to park the truck at work on Monday, sleep in it each night and come home only on weekends.”

“How about something sporty with a sunroof?” our daughter suggested. I knew she had visions of hot-rodding around town with her friends. We had visions of peeling ourselves out of the low-slung models she had in mind.

“I’m thinking of a beater car to drive to work,” my husband said, pulling out a car dealer paper he picked up at the convenience store.

“Oh, no,” our daughter commented dryly. “He’s gonna get a 1982 Pinto or something.”

Several weeks later we drove away from the car lot with an older Buick in mint condition,with extremely low mileage.

“Buicks hold their value,” we told the children as they rolled their eyes.

“I don’t want to be seen driving that aircraft destroyer,” quipped our son. “It probably has a Geo Metro in the trunk in case of accidents.”

I reminded him that years ago, his oldest brother had to impress the girls while driving our family car, complete with coloring books, crayons and toddler seats in the back.

So now they are stuck with parents who drive an old geezer’s car. Our son pulls his hat over his eyes so people can’t recognize him. And we’re laughing all the way to the bank.

How about you? Have any car stories? Don't forget to comment below.