Yes, I am home. No, I have not gone away. Suddenly it dawned on me that not having a car in my driveway sends an incorrect loud and clear message. Many have commented that they passed by my house and saw the emptiness of the driveway and assumed that I had taken a trip (I wish). It makes sense to think that no one could live here without a car. I hope that I am not bombarded by people who say that they manage very well using public transportation and their legs to get everywhere they need to go. Not me!
I am a person who easily gets into my car to drive to Montreal, to Rochester, or to Lakewood to visit grandchildren without a drop of hesitation. So what was I thinking when I decided that, since the lease on my car had already been extended and I needed to get another car, perhaps I should try to sell my car on my very own! I can assure the readers that I am not at all business savvy. I have never ever made a major decision which involved any significant amount of money by myself. That was one of the minor specialties of our marriage. We were totally in sync with finances, which means that neither of us knew anything about them.
On the advice of my son I ventured to a business called CarMax, made an appointment and was very proud of myself that I was acting like an adult. I asked them how much they would give me for my car (a 2019 Honda Civic). They offered me what I thought was a good deal of money, $18,000. Their offer is only valid for seven days. My naivete was so blatant that I did not realize that I could not sell a car that was leased. Nina, the car does not belong to you! Surprise! I actually went through the process of buying my car from the leasing company, receiving the title and going to the DMV, and I officially became the owner of what I had been driving for the past three years.
Every few days I would go online and check with different companies, looking to see what they would offer me for my newly owned car. One company offered me $4,200. That definitely did not help my nerves. Another company came up with $11,000. Literally I was ready to hide my head in shame. Oh no, what had I done? Finally I decided to return to CarMax with a new appointment as if I had never been there before. Their original offer was in my purse folded up. I even had my car washed for the occasion. I cannot emphasize enough how lovely the people that I dealt with were. They could not have been nicer. Of course they had in their records that I had been there previously. I just sat there with my nerves totally shattered as they went out to “check” my car.
I thought of every little scratch (and there were a few) and dent (which also somehow made their way onto the car). Would they notice the time that coffee spilled on the front seat? I’ve never been able to get that stain off perfectly. I was practically shaking. They returned and said, “What would you say if we offered you $19,400 for the car?” I did not know how to contain myself and felt that maybe business was what I was always destined to do. They asked if I was prepared to sell them the car on the spot and I had to contain myself from screaming “Yes!”
Therefore, in answer to the many comments that I must be away because there is no car in my driveway, no, I am not away. I simply sold my car without really thinking through the fact that I would now literally be without a car. Need milk? Too bad. Want to make that special dessert for the grandchildren who are coming for Shabbos but you are missing the main ingredient—forget it.
Who wants to take me to the office each morning? Oh, but then I have to figure out how to get back. True, I could Uber, maybe rent a car, but in my giddiness concerning my amazing business prowess I totally ignored the fact that it might take a while to find another car. Just like everything else there is a shortage of cars! I have confidence in Aryeh Moskowitz of CarYay and am really hoping (Aryeh, do you hear me?) that next week, when I write my article for The Link, there will be a shiny new car in my driveway so everyone knows that yes, I am home.
Nina Glick can be reached at [email protected].
