Who doesn’t love that new car scent? I used to love it until I started learning more about chemicals and how harmful they are. Now it just smells a little noxious. I remember, years ago, I even bought a car air “freshener” called “NEW CAR SCENT.” I guess I felt it was important to make my 7 year old Ford Escort smell factory fresh. lol
Thankfully, in addition to using doTERRA for all of my wellness needs, I’ve been able to make my own chemical free fresheners and cleaners that not only work as well, or better than their expensive chemical competitors… but they SMELL AMAZING!! I’ll never go back!!
So… here’s my dilemma. I’m in the contemplation stage of possibly purchasing a new car and I find myself dreading that new car smell. I don’t think you can purchase a car without smell. Can you? Even used cars get smell ADDED so they smell NEW! Isn’t it crazy really… when you think about it? All the unnecessary toxins in our lives? I could be speaking from ignorance. (Going out on a limb, I’ll assume that’s not the first time.) Maybe the fake new car smell isn’t a deliberate selling ploy. Regardless, I prefer to always buy new and trade them before they start giving me problems.
My mighty Nissan Quest with amenities out the yin-yang is reaching it’s Golden Years in Lisa Land. It’s 3 years old already and it’s almost time for the great used car lot in the sky… or more likely Northern Virginia. After all, my gas cap light goes on sometimes, my little USB thingy isn’t working well, I can’t find one of the headphones for the movie screen, carpets are filthy and it’s time for an oil change. Sheesh… for those of you who don’t know me, this makes me sound so superficial and materialistic. Wasteful even. All that extra money could be going towards things that count for something other than my own gratification. I’m totally aware and while it’s somewhat bothersome to me, there’s a reason for my actions.
The real reason is fear. When you think about it, a lot of life’s decisions are made based on fear? No? That could just be a lot of MY life’s decisions!! lol What about faith, you say? Don’t get judgey … you’ve got your own grass to mow. I’m still a work in progress and I’m just keepin’ it real! You’re almost always gonna get real, with me. UNLESS, it’s facebook or Instagram… then you’ll get the me I’d like to be! lol
So… back to the reason I buy a new car about every 3 or 4 years. Back in the 80’s… remember the 80’s? I don’t remember much of them because… you know… they were the 80’s but I remember being broken down a LOT. On the side of the road, in my driveway, in random parking lots etc. My cheap little hoopties were never reliable. In the 90’s, same story/different cars, only this time, I was doing it with a child. Granted, the names I gave them probably didn’t do a thing for moral. Breaking down may very well have been their way of seeking revenge.
In 2000, after barely surviving Y2K, by the way the anxiety over the potential Armageddon almost did me in. We even had a visiting preacher come and warn us about it. He used chalk drawings. I better be careful not to judge him on HIS lack of faith. ;) Anyway… I’ll never forget it. I guess, after that, I figured that life was too short to waste so much time on the side of the road and I bought my first brand new car. Plus, I could afford finally one soo… there was that. That was 5 new cars ago.
Buying new every few years lowers the risk of finding myself on the side of the road. To me it was worth the car payments for that type of insurance. Wait a minute! I knew if I rambled long enough, I’d find a way to excuse my less than frugal ways. They aren’t car payments at all!!! They are MONTHLY PREMIUMS to INSURE that I won’t get stranded on some dark dangerous road in the middle of the night. Not that I’m ever on dark dangerous roads in the middle of the night… but still… I feel a little better about myself, now. Don’t you?
What do ya know!! Car payments are PROTECTION from harm! Protection from harm is a form of self care. AND isn’t this whole wellness journey all about taking better care of self and others? YES!
AND JUST LIKE THAT… ladies and gentlemen … I’m totally justified! Not only justified but did you see how I was able to “flawlessly” tie this random topic in with my whole wellness journey AND feel better about myself in the process? It’s a gift, really… that is, of course, if excusing poor actions in such an impressive manner should be considered a gift.
I may not always bring everything back to wellness. Some things may just be completely unrelated and totally random. Like that pineapple on my cover page. It might be too random… even for me.
Currently taking suggestions on ideas for my cover page AND suggestions on new cars. I hate the whole car buying process but that’s a whole other blog topic. How about I just use this blog to think “out loud” about random stuff when I want and you can use it to read about random stuff when you want? Deal? :)
