Sticker Shock

My morning routine takes me past the local high school, as the “young adults” –seeking their higher education, are arriving. They file in, one by one -on foot. Ten by ten -on bus, and here and there by car.

These last few weeks marked the beginning of the school year ahead. While some were sporting new looks –to include new shoes and flashy accessories, it was the shiny new cars that really caught my attention. You read that right. NEW cars. How do I know they are new? Because, their temporary tags tell me so. I’ve seen it all. Everything from sporty sedans to pick-up trucks.

How many of you remember walking to school, up hill –both ways…in the snow, barefoot? Although I don’t recall it quite that way, I do remember riding the big yellow banana (read: the school bus) every morning until my junior year. After which, I was blessed with a car that was 15 years my senior and had more rust than it did body paint. On a good day, I could make it to and from without my ride over-heating or dropping a gallon of oil. Despite my rides inferior appearance, I was still cool. Why? Because I had a car.

I’m afraid I would have finished out my school years on the school bus, if my father has been expected to provide me with one of the cars I see pulling into the high school every morning. Hmph!