The Rat Hole

Money pit. Good money after bad. Money down a rat hole. Notice a recurring theme? You’re looking at a 1969 Volvo 145S station wagon, which is currently in the shop, and which has been the recipient of way too much of my money lately. Fix the turn signal? Sure, we can do that, but in the process, we’ll have to replace the hazard flasher (which almost caused a fire) and re-route some of the wiring. That’ll be $200, please. Replace the oil pan gasket? Of course, we can do that, but it requires removing the front axle. Another $300, please. This is getting redonkulous, as my son would say.

One of my students in Eastern Religions class re-stated Buddhism’s Four Noble Truths by saying, “Don’t get your hopes up and you’ll never get disappointed” (that’s a paraphrase of his paraphrase). I think the concept of non-attachment probably goes a little deeper than that, but it seems to be on the right track.

Still, I think Jesus said it much more profoundly than anyone when he said, “Do not store up treasures for yourselves on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:19-21).

As far as the Volvo goes, I don’t lose any sleep worrying about the thieves, but it’s too late for the rust. Anyway, the simple truth is that it’s just a car. Now if you’re a car guy, hearing that is like fingernails on a chalkboard. Car guys don’t like facing that fact. But it’s true. It’s just a car. And as someone once very wisely observed, you shouldn’t love anything that can’t love you back.