The Thursday Ramble: Toys

There is an old saying, that "he who dies with the most toys wins." My favorite toy, has four wheels and a top that folds up and disappears under the "boot" cover. 

My father had a list of a dozen reasons why a convertible was a bad idea. He could get quite adamant about how stupid an open top car was.  They leak, they cost more, they are noisier, they have no back seat room, they have no trunk space, and there are lots of moving parts that are sooner or later going to cause problems.  All valid points. 

When I was a teenager, a friend of mine had an MG-A, and open top British sports car that he and his father had completely rebuilt.  It had a rain cover for the passenger compartment, and no top to close.  I rode with him in it a couple of times, it was thrilling.  Then in my early 20's I had an affair with a lovely person who had an MG-B, in British Racing Green.  She let me drive it, with the top down, the radio turned up, and the wind in our hair (and I had hair back then.)  I fell in love with the idea of a convertible (cabriolet.) 

And my fathers tirade rang in my ears, and I looked past them to sensible four door sedans, and five door hatchbacks.  I have owned a lot of reliable but not thrilling cars, and a hand full of really nice cars. Only one, a Cadillac ever drew a real compliment from my father.  

And yet the desire for an open top never faded.  A sunroof, helped, but is not the same.  A few months after my father died, I had my reliable sensible little Mazda in for service, and I wandered around the dealers lot while I waited. They had a BMW convertible they had taken in trade, I looked at the price, and thought about the balance in my account and the light went on, that I could own what I dreamed about.  

I looked for 2 or 3 weeks, and came across the little white VW Eos. The top disappears at the touch of a button, it is comfortable enough.  It was a few years old with not very many miles on it. I bought it for a price I could pay cash for as a toy. I kept the sensible car and figured I would play with the toy for a couple of years and keep the sensible car.  Two years later, I sold the sensible car and kept the toy.  

Within reason, allow yourself toys, things that make you happy.  When the top goes down, the smile comes up. Same for me, as the man driving the Ferrari I parked next to the other afternoon at the bookstore.