All right boys... and Hazel... I need you to soften me up re: why cars, and how they look, are so very important to you.
Though, normally I would never mention a disagreement (a real one anyway) between me and Steve on the blog, this isn't considered too real because, despite how little I care about the car, I do get the there is something deep down about it for Steve which means I will obviously respect his needs here.
So, since I'm already resigned to loving submission, I want any men out there to affirm why I should feel good about this (not argue against Steve).
Here's the haps. The subaru is apparently all scratched up to heck from our LAST narrow driveway. The buick is scratched on the back (happy Father's day dad!), and now there is a small problem with the thinggee underneath the front that I did just the other day.
Steve wants to fix these things. Subaru is a no brainer... that's Steve's everyday car, and I'm in tune enough with his maleness to understand that it makes him feel like he's walking around with a bad perm and gray hair sticking straight up to drive it around. Even though, I kid you not, I do not see any of these scratches. Much like, I suppose, Steve wouldn't notice the gray hair on me.
The Buick though... that's my everyday car - it is so low low low low low... LOW on my priority list to have the cars look shiny. I appreciate the cars, I do. We're very lucky to have them - but I couldn't care less if they are dirty or scratchy. If it was just that issue, of course whatever makes him happy - but the thing that makes me WANT to protest (I won't!) is that I feel like any number of the other things we've been putting off... say... the plumbing which has the potential to burst at any moment and cause who knows how much MORE monetary and emotional damage is probably comparable in price to fixing the cars.
So, men... set me straight. Go ahead. It'll make me feel better when the pipes flood the downstairs and force us to replace the entire first floor floor.
120: Yellow
3 months ago
8 comments:
OK, you probably KNOW I'm not much of a "car girl" or anything like that, but I have to respectfully side with your dear husband on this one, on the grounds that small scratches can turn into larger problems if not fixed because they can rust. Better to take care of them while they are fresh and small, in my honest opinion. And this is coming from someone who honestly begrudges every cent we have to pay for this kind of thing, but does it anyways because I guess I kind of DO like having a shiny car to drive around in! Maybe that's just because I live in Santa Barbara, home to movie stars and Oprah. : )
I think it's kinda like shoes.... or clothes for that matter. But, for illustration sake, I'll stick with shoes. It's not like you can't wear the really worn out ones... the one with scuff marks, maybe a bit of dirt, and the heels are worn down. The shoe works just fine. They get you from point A to point B without causing you blisters or unnecessary harm. But... they just don't make you feel as good as when you wear the newer, less tattered pair of shoes. With your nice shoes (or a well put together outfit) you just feel great.
Now, seeing as you understand why Steve might want to get the Subaru fixed... imagine if he was walking around with beat up shoes. And, it's his favorite pair - in fact, he wears the same, worn shoes to work, church, the kids recitals... every where he goes. If it were me, it would drive me nuts and every time I'd see those ragged shoes, and I'd want to run screaming to the closest men's shoe shop and buy a new pair... while he may be perfectly content, shlepping around in the worn pair.
Same thing with the Buick. Every time he sees it, it drives him nuts and he wants it fixed. It's the pride in ownership thing that's ingrained into their fiber.
...and, the plumbing will NOT burst anytime soon. I promise.
ada. you. make. me. laugh. steve. too.
clean out the cars .. give them a nice hose down... and get the pipes fixed... :) xo
Personally, messy cars give me a feeling of anxiety and chaos, while clean cars gives me a feeling of calm and control. But thats just the OCD talking. And in case you hadn't already guessed, my car is messy.
i'm with dave on this one, and i wear my OCD proudly.
Next time you're out driving, take a look at the other cars. Notice that the ones that are banged up, the ones that have burnt out tail lights, the ones with bumper stickers all over them... they'll all driven by clueless jerks that are too stupid to be driving. Not true, but they stand out.
A car is a thing of beauty... a car can be sexy. I know you said Buick, so having owned/driven a few, yeah, not sexy. But it's the biggest purchase we make. The house is bigger, but it was there before we got here, will be there long after us. The car is our faithful steed. That's why we name them. Ingrained ancestry of horse ownership.
There's a different kind of relationship with a car. A lot of emotions get attached a car and the car is a good buddy who's seen us through a lot. (Or the mistress we're allowed to have and drool over and obsess over without getting in trouble... mention the TT and see if he doesn't smile and if his eyes don't get a little misty.)
It makes me very sad that I've never been able to justify having my car repainted after the paint incident and that's probably only because it's on the side of the car I don't see.
Others have hit some good points as well... clothes:women::cars:men ... pride of ownership ... taking care of one's posessions (stewardship?) ... scratches=rust, clutter/damage=subconscious chaos... (guessing you're not an Unclutter.com fan yet?)
If the plumbing bursts, at least he can go outside and sit on the stoop while the waits for the plumber and look at the two gleaming cars that haven't let him down, unlike the stupid plumbing.
LOLOL.
All very good points.
Simple truth, I don't totally have to understand - the quantity of pictures alone he as willingly posed for with me should be worth fixing up the cars.
While you're at it, can you set a aside a few bucks for Steve to get another Gypsy Nights shirt?
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