A matter of perspective

I had a couple of weekdays off and the plan was to finally take the Ford minivan in for an oil change and fix a quirky electrical problem. The place I take the cars to is a little over a mile from our house, so I usually drop the car off and walk home and walk back to get it.

On this day, I called my husband to see where he was in the drive home. I asked him if he could pick up the daughter at daycare. It was getting late and the car still wasn't done. He agreed and said no problem.

The phone rings at 4:25pm. It is the husband. He is stranded at daycare. The car's serpentine belt was shredded. He said he was going to get it towed to our mechanic and by the way, his cell phone battery is low.

Great! I am pissed. Another car bill. Who knows what this will cost. I call the mechanic to ask when the minivan will be ready for pick up. They say it has been done. (Gee, thanks for the call fellas!!) I tell them our Chevy Lumina is coming in next. I call the husband and tell him I will start walking over to the mechanic's and meet him there.

I am stewing. My mind is racing around lots of angry frustrated thoughts. Can the daughter ride in a tow truck with the car seat? How much will the minivan repairs be? The Lumina's? How long will it take to fix? I hate owning these lame American used cars. We should really look into buying a new car, etc, etc. My mind is doing this all the way to the shop.

The van is ready. $200 in repairs. Now, I sit and wait as the car seat will work in the tow truck. I then start doing some math. Overall, it is cheaper to own and repair an used car versus buying a brand new one. We have no payments now. We may spend $1000 or so for all three used cars in maintenance a year, although it is higher some years than others. One year I think we approached $5000. Still, cheaper. Did I mention my mind was racing.

Then, the tow truck arrives. I see the daughter sitting up in the cab with a huge grin and waving with excitement. When the truck stops, she runs out and over to me screaming all the way, "Mommy! I rode in a yellow tow-mater!!!" (A reference to the move "Cars")

This was an exciting adventure to her. One she will go on to talk about for days. I see that reaction and can't do anything but smile. It'll be ok. They are just cars. It is just money. At least we have both. And how often do you get to ride in a yellow tow-mater. Yep, it is all a matter of perspective.