“Most people look at me sideways when I come driving up in this old truck but, truth be told, this is the best vehicle I’ve ever owned.”
“I almost gave it up a couple of years back when my kids bought me a new car when I retired from public school teaching after 40 years.”
“Pretty special gift, huh?”
“Yeah, well, I’d have none of it.”
“Hey, don’t get me wrong; it’s a great sentiment and I appreciate it very much–but let’s get one thing straight…I don’t want to have anything to do with a new car.”
“Oh sure, I thought about it for a while and I almost gave in–my god, I’m human, you know. But that car was going to be way more trouble than it was worth.”
“How so? Well, let’s connect the dots.”
“I love to fish. I can’t imagine too many people are going to feel too good about putting dead fish in the trunk of a new car. And then there’s the matter of my golden retriever. I’d have to leave him home and that’s never gonna happen. Then, to be safe, I’d have to park that new car in the garage–which means I’d have to give up my woodworking projects.”
“I love my kids with every ounce of energy I’ve got, but I’ve been on this planet for almost 70 years now and I’m smart enough to know what I need in my life. At this point, I have no use for shiny things–I like things just the way they are.”
Tom Heinze is a retired high school English teacher who loves his family, his dog, and his truck–in that order. Happy beyond measure, he has made it clear that he has no desire for shiny things.
Leave a note.