Yet Another Loss--Oh Well

The repo men came in the cold, dark night and took Alain out of the driveway and towed him off somewhere. I was asleep and didn't realize he was gone until I got a phone call this morning from Eric's Mom asking if I was okay. "Yes, why wouldn't I be?" "Your car is gone" she said. I went outside and looked over the porch and sure enough, just a tire mark in the mud where Alain used to sit. "Well, shit." I got off the phone with her and on the phone with the police. They told me that the car had been repossessed.

I knew this was a possibility, but didn't know it would happen without any warning or any written notice. I moved back to Chicago in November and have been looking constantly for a job, and despite a couple of interviews, have not gotten one yet, so it was hard to keep up with the car payments. I would ignore the calls from the creditor or when I tried to call them, would be put on hold for over 35 minutes. That's the average time for each time I attempted to call them back.

I will admit that I shed some tears. Quite a few tears, to be honest, but they are all gone now. In my first post of 2017 I mentioned that this was the year of moving forward...no looking back. Yes, this is a setback. Not only to my ego, but also my lifestyle, not to mention my credit report. Yet, I am no longer upset about this and here are the reasons why.

First of all, I never really liked this car. Sure, it was newer than my Subaru and had Sirius/XM radio and a backup camera, but I was bullied into buying it. I told the sales person and the finance guy I couldn't afford the payments. Eric told the sales person and the finance guy I couldn't afford the payments. When the dealership said they could make it work, I reluctantly agreed, telling them the entire time that I would be perfectly happy with an older, smaller, CHEAPER car. When they brought him out and there was a big scratch on the bumper and I mentioned it. "Oh yeah", they said "they can't buff that out, but you already signed the paperwork. Too bad." When I gave them a HORRIBLE review on Yelp about the entire sales process they called and pleaded and reduced my payments but they were still more than I was comfortable with. This car also made a horrible noise when the wind was coming out of the North or West. It was a high-pitched roaring, coming from the side view mirrors. It also had a weird spot on the windshield, right in my line of sight at night. Alain did get good gas mileage and he did get me and the kitties back to Chicago, so he did his job. Also, I wouldn't have lasted too long in Los Angeles without a car. I wish him luck at the auction in which he will inevitably be sold.

Second, I live in a city with EXCELLENT public transportation. When I was without a car in California, I had to leave for work in the dark hours of the morning just to get there on time. I had to walk far distances to get to stops convenient to my location. Now, I can walk less than a block and get on a bus, which will take me into the city, or which can take me to a train, or another bus. Or I can walk a mile and get on a different train that takes me to the city, or to the suburbs. I can also get on a bus for a short distance and rent a bike (when the weather is warmer). That bike can take me all over the city and I can drop it off at several locations. All of this will help with my fitness goals for the year.

Third, it's cheaper. I don't have to make the car payments anymore. I don't have to pay insurance anymore. I don't have to buy gas anymore. I don't have to buy a city sticker or a license plate sticker. I don't have to pay the Sirius/XM subscription anymore. I don't have to pay for car washes, or washer fluid.

Finally, I shouldn't be upset. I couldn't and didn't make the payments so this is the consequence. I am luckier than a lot of people. I have a roof over my head. I have food in my refrigerator and pantry. I have clothes on my back. I have heat, and running water, and kitties that wake me up at all hours of the night to be fed, or to be loved. I have my health. I have friends and family that love me.  All things considered, I've been through worse, I've lost more.

So I don't have a car anymore. So what.