Big Purchases . . . No Longer a Statement
When we were all younger, our “big purchases” made a social statement. It could be a house, a car, or a boat, but it qualified as “big”. It typically required a loan, and with that loan people often would reach a bit beyond their means assuming that their earnings would not only catch-up but surpass any financial requirements.
One of the delights of our senior years is that people are no longer impressed by such social statements. What now impresses our contemporaries are our health status and our attitudes toward living. The house is now a roof and the car is transportation. “Smart” means less maintenance, not styling.
Last year, we bought a roof on the other side of the country from our last roof. Since we took the downsize challenge very seriously, our new roof is only half the size of our old roof which sheltered our family when it was growing. Sometimes, it can seem a bit tight, but that is an emotional response. In truth, we have plenty of space. But it is more of a roof than a statement.
Now, I’m considering replacing a car. The only car I ever connected with emotionally was a ’66 Mustang. (That love affair ended when it was stolen.) The car I’m thinking of replacing is the original ’95 Aurora, one of the few American cars designed by engineers rather than accountants. This car still runs, but at fifteen years of age, I know its reliability (It’s been outstanding.) will start to diminish. So I’m starting to look at cars again.
The last car we purchased was a Prius, which I viewed as the only intelligent choice at that time. I still feel that way, but I don’t want to get one more of the same. I’m looking for more innovations. I’d love to see a bit more storage topped by a roof with solar cells. I’d insist on a household current converter so that I could charge the car from the house, or visa-versa.
In short, I’m not trying to make a statement. I’m after safe, reliable, and green. Prius is the best right now. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if this GM Company that we now own could produce such a green car? That would be my hope. My suspicion is that two or three years from now my only choice will be a Prius-III, which I’ll buy by then if I have no other choice. It’s not a statement, it’s transportation.