More" "Out of the Mouth of Seniors:"
It isn't often I get to help someone out anymore. Can't push a car, my hands won't even let me put cables on a dead battery. And I can still lift a fifty pound bag of dog food, but no way in heck can I twist my body to put it somewhere. LOL
So I got my Jersey Mike's sandwich. (don''t worry, I got one for Kathy too!) WhenI went out in the strip mall parking lot- which was stuffed to the gills. Since Snowmageddon hit, today was the first day that the big roads were open.
A lady about my age - mid seventies- was standing in the parking lot, holding a bag of groceries and looking...well...lost.
So I said:
"Are you okay , Ma'am?"
"I can't find my car!"
She was borderline upset. But...I have been there where-I knew I drove ...but where did I Park? So I said:
"Oh, that happens to me all the time."
She relaxed a bit.
"Really?"
"Yep."
"Well how do you find your car?"
"Depends. Sometimes I walk until I see a small silver car. Silver is popular, but most are to big...so they aren't mine. Other times, I just go to each aisle and click my key fob. Then the lights and beep let me know where my car is."
So she takes out her key fob and shows it to me.
"Will this work? I have only had this car since Christmas."
I laughed.
That's a heck of a Christmas present. "
She laughed.
"My Husband bought a brand new Ford 150....so he knew better than to get me another necklace."
I laughed with her.
I took the key fob, pressed the button. Sure enough, two rows over: "Bing. Lights."
"Thank you, Sir. I didn't know that they did that. Pretty fancy. I mean I just keep it in my pocket and the car will start."
"Yeah, the modern keys do that. Didn't your old key fob do that too?"
"No. It was just a key."
It isn't often I actually think things through...but this time...I managed.
"What kind of a car did you have before?"
"1981 Chevy Impala. It was a good car."
"Wow. My favorite car was a 1977 Impala. Great car!"
She smiled as we walked toward her new car.
"Yeah. I was kinda sad when we traded it in for this. But it is a nice car."
"This" turned out to be a brand spanking new Audi A6. Immaculate.
I whistled and said:
"I think you owe your husband some change."
She laughed.
"Yeah, I told him it was either this or a Mercedes. I don't want to have to go out and buy a car every couple years. "
I smiled. And said goodbye.
But in my head I was thinking...you kept a car for more than forty five years...and you think it is hassle to keep buying cars. I bet that car will make some downstream grand child very happy...but not for a while!