Jul 03 2007
How to Spend Money You Don’t Really Have
Out of all four of my brothers, I am the only one who knows nothing about auto mechanics. Moreover, I’ve never really cared to know that much about the topic. My brothers, on the other hand, are certifiable grease monkeys — one has a 1991 Chevy S-10 that he’s tricked out & tweaked into a cherry-red low-rider, one has (nearly) fully restored a John-Deere-green 1970 Chevy Impala 350, and the other is in the process of raising the funds to restore his 1984 Pontiac Trans-Am. What do I drive? A 1997 Toyota Corolla that averages about 33 mpg and allows me to go about 4-to-5,000 miles in between oil changes. Count me as a non-stereotypical male — all that I care about is that the car is fuel-efficient, drives well, is easy to maintain (or have others maintain it), and has above-average durability. Why else do I drive a Toyota?
That being said, I also realize that cars and car care make me feel stupid, insecure, & helpless. I’m used to knowing something about most everything, so when I find something of which I know nothing about (and/or simply have no aptitude for), I get rather frustrated & defensive. Or, in the case of my car, I simply find ways to ignore basic maintenance because it will cost me money that I’d rather spend on other things — books, music, movie tickets, an occasional video game, more books & music, and similar forms of entertainment. Does mean that I’m lazy and dismissive in regards to my only form of transportation? Sadly, yes it does & it was proved to me in spades over the weekend.
You see, when working here at Cockrell River Camp for the summer: a) I don’t make much money & b) I only get 1 day off a week (Noon Saturday until Noon Sunday). Continue reading “How to Spend Money You Don’t Really Have”
