Khan
Gone but not forgotten
- Joined
- Aug 23, 2006
- Messages
- 6,924
I enjoyed it actually, especially with the '85 Chevy pickup truck that is now a family legend. Bought it new and kept it for 18 years, only selling it because parts were getting hard to find. The paint was peeled, surface rust on the cab, roof, and sides, it looked like something from a Jeff Foxworthy picture joke. But everything worked.
But it sure made it easier to get large packages home, including a living room couch on sale one time. I had a good photo but can't find it now.
One BIL still has his '72 Ford F-150.
I bought a new econobox (hatchback) in Feb '89; I replaced it in Jun '07. Like you, I couldn't get parts (the stick shift was getting extremely sloppy and the folks at the garage couldn't find replacement parts).
Folks at work made jokes about my car; didn't bother me a bit. They're still working.
Concerning feeling humiliated: I'd say, looking back, that one of the best financial decisions I ever made was buying a house in a blue-collar neighborhood. No Jones' to keep up with.
And to the OP: you have to take that ego and stomp it flat. It will trick you and sabotage your plans.
Something I like from Buddhism: the idea of detachment. I don't believe in reincarnation and I don't seek to attain enlightenment. But I have attained retirement.