The Hard Lessons We Learn

My first car was a 1972 MG – and on good days, I could crank it without having someone give me a push so that I could pop the clutch.  Those were the days…

When my youngest son, Bryan,  started driving, he had a Honda.  It was nothing special to look at – in fact, that was probably part of the problem.  It lacked that certain “cool” factor.   The Honda had four wheels and a working engine but it was a bit dinged up.

Bryan spent this past summer saving up for a different car. He found what he wanted – a 1995 Mitsubishi Eclipse. My husband tried to discourage him from buying this particular car, to be patient and wait – save up a little more money. Bryan, however, didn’t want to listen.  As parents, we could have refused to let him purchase the car – but we tend to offer advice and then let our children make their own decisions.   Sometimes, those decisions have painful consequences.

For three weeks, Bryan sported his new ride around town.  The young ladies at school loved his car.  Our retired neighbors – not so much.  One resorted to shouting profanities at him – probably had something to do with the obnoxious exhaust system.   At this point, I’m not sure that the profanity yelling neighbor didn’t pull out the chicken feet and cast a spell on the car because it has become a money pit.

We’ve helped Bryan replace the fuel sensor, the fuel filter and the fuel pump.   Various other sensors have been replaced along with the coil pack and car’s computer.  At this point, you’d think the car would run and on occasion it will.  He’s been able to drive it for a long as twenty minutes before it shuts off as he goes down the highway – but at least it looks good!   I’m sure you understand the frustration.

One evening, he looked at me and said, “I wish I had kept the Honda.  It might have been ugly but it never left me along the road.”  And this is why we let him spend his hard earned money – because no matter what his father said – his mind was already made up…and unfortunately, experience is usually the best teacher.

I hope Bryan has learned a valuable lesson – that looks aren’t everything and dependability in a car, as well as a person, is something to be appreciated.