5:00 p.m., Tuesday, June 17
…and…
It’s 108 degrees in the shade of the back porch!
My son, the redoubtable Caligula, still has my car. I guess he thinks he’s protecting me from myself.
Since I have exactly zero desire to go bucketing around in 108-degree heat, he can keep the damn thing. In the meantime, if the outdoor temp were reasonable, I’d have an eight-minute walk to the nearest grocery store. So…I don’t feel very concerned about it.
What am I gonna do about this latest Act of Arrogance, though?
Really, I haven’t decided. In theory, he has stolen my car. But…you can be sure I’m not about to press car theft charges against my son.
Sooo…we’re brought around to the question of do I care whether he’s glommed the car?
And y’know…the truth of the matter is probably not. Yes, I would like to get the money for it: it’s worth a few tens of thousands of dollars.
But y’know…the whole truth of the matter is that his li’l act of arrogance has demonstrated, spectacularly, that I don’t really need a car.
The neighbor across the street drives an Uber. He’ll take me wherever I please; and what the heck? If he’s not available, some other Uber or actual cab driver will be. I’m within easy walking distance of a Sprouts, an Albertson’s (huge supermarket), an El Rancho (downscale supermarket), an AJ’s (upscale supermarket), a Target, a Walgreen’s…and on and on. In other words, I don’t need a car for normal, day-to-day routine life!
Truth to tell, I don’t need a car at all. Certainly not for everyday use. And…if something comes up that I do need a vehicle, there’s a place that rents cars within walking distance.
My inclination is not to retrieve that car of mine, and not to buy another car. Let the kid pay the taxes on it! 😉
Seriously: don’t replace that hole in the asphalt into which to pour money. Instead, hire drivers to schlep me around, and rent a car if a day comes that I really need one.
That need isn’t likely to last more than a day or three. And so…why own a car and pay taxes on it if you can provide for yourself more economically?
Heh heh!!! If my father heard this line of reasoning, he’d think I really have gone balmy.