218-point check list

Who knew my desire to drive and purchase a decent vehicle was instead going to drive me crazy. There are so many cars to choose from, so many sales pitches to listen to and so much cheap cologne over worn by sleazy salesmen...it makes me sick. I've only been at it for a week now and I am at the point where I want to pick one and get it over with. I am getting so frustrated but my Mom continues to reassure me a better deal is around the corner and says we just need to look harder. While I listen to one of these car dealers give their routine speech telling me every car I show interest in is a "phenomenal car!" I zone out with my blank stare and start to wonder how shockingly similar car shopping is to our search for the perfect man.

Men come in all colors, sizes, and shapes, with their each individual personality; very similar to the brigade of Toyotas at the dealership by my house. We need a reliable, solid, safe, comfortable car but most importantly, is pretty. Many men and women are drawn to those who walk or drive by in which they take a double look to catch another glance at the beauty of its exterior and start to dream about getting inside its interior. The average alpha male uses the same cheesy pick up lines salesmen do and where we may give them a date or take them for a test drive, we dispose of them as often as an oil change. When buying a used car you have to take a leap of faith hoping you didn't get a lemon and the car won't break down leaving you stranded on Rt. 38. Sure AAA or your closest friends will always be there for help and then after a few tears and some cocktails you do go out and search for another to replace the last, maybe this time a little wiser.

Even if it's hard to admit, we all have a wish list for the perfect man and if we meet someone who doesn't quite fit the criteria we move on to the next. A 218-point inspection check is given to every used car at the Ford Auto Gallery before it is put out for sale. If only there was a way to condition our men into a 218-point inspection check. We would be given the illusion that we were ending up with exactly what we wanted and live such happy, divorce free lives. However, we may then never know what a broken heart feels like or learn how to change a tire if everything went so smoothly. What we think we want may not actually be what will make us the happiest either. Some of the best memories are made from mistakes and pushing aside what's comfortable and taking that risk. Our hearts are not under a warranty so we need to be gentle and make the right choices, slowly and carefully. There will always be bumps in the road and patches that need to be fixed but all that matters is who is in your passenger seat, along for the ride.