One of my husband’s
favorite songs is called "The Last Farewell."
... A sailor’s sentimental goodbye to his island sweetheart,
it is the song forever associated with Roger Whittaker.
I always thought that Val
liked the number because it recalled his days in the merchant
marine, but lately I discovered it is actually due to a
personality quirk that became evident when he was faced
with selling our aging Toyota Corolla.
The Toyota wagon served as
our second car and Val’s work car and although still
trouble free, had seen over 120,000 miles. Additionally,
our neighbor, from whom we had purchased the car, was ready
to trade in their used Subaru wagon for a new vehicle. We
would therefore be out of buying sync with our preferred
source of a trustworthy used car, unless we bought now,
so we purchased their Subaru wagon.
Now it came time to part with the Toyota.
First, it was washed and waxed until it wasn’t just
clean ... it positively glowed. The inside was vacuumed,
cleaned and polished; any minor defects touched up.
The car had never looked so good! So
good in fact, my husband kept procrastinating about selling
it and even began to bemoan the fact that he had decided
to part with it at all. This continued for several weeks
while Val kept finding small, additional refinements which
the Toyota needed.
Meanwhile, we were juggling three cars
in and out of our one-car garage. Feeling like a go-between,
selling the qualities of a prospective bride, I kept pointing
out the improved features the Subaru offered: automatic
door locks and windows, air bags and remote-controlled side
view mirrors as well as a reputation for being great in
snow — a decided advantage in navigating the steep
hill at the entrance to our condo.
Val would brighten momentarily, but
then upon discovering our car insurance would increase considerably,
he also began to notice that the Subaru which he had thought
was blue, had a decidedly unfavorable turquoise tint in
a certain light.
Now, I do have a personal history which
gives me some understanding of the attachment between men
and their cars. As an only child, I was the apple of my
father’s eye, but my rival for his attention was our
first family car — a maroon 1940 Hudson, purchased
for $900.
Come hell or high water, that Hudson
was lovingly hand-washed and simonized every weekend without
fail and for at least several years, was always parked in
the furthest corner of any parking lot.
Finally, late one evening,
Val accepted the inevitable and bidding an almost tearful
goodbye, with reassurances to the Toyota that someone of
sterling character would be its next owner, he drove the
car to our mechanic who had agreed to sell it for us, thereby
eliminating the separation anxiety that a more prolonged
selling experience would have surely occasioned.
I, not so gently, teased
Val about the entire incident whereupon he reminded me that
even after 15 years, I still have been unable to part with
certain outfits I dearly love (three sizes too small and
certainly out of style) tenderly wrapped in tissue paper
and residing in the basement wardrobe. Now, I ask you, dear
impartial reader, isn’t that a completely different
story?
Note to other used car aficionados:
Val has completely adjusted to, and extols the virtues of,
the Subaru, and the Toyota is, we trust, giving good and
faithful service to its new owner, a technician from Bridgeport
Hospital.
Jean Cherni
is founder of Senior Living Solutions, a retirement advisory
service. Contact her at jeancherni@sbcglobal.net or
15 The Ponds, Branford 06405. H. Pearce Company REALTORS®
is a full-service real estate company with more than 100
agents and branch offices in greater New Haven and the Shoreline.
Corporate and & Commercial offices are located in North
Haven, where the company was founded in 1958. All listings
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