Networking and My First Car

Our story begins on a Monday night. Called by someone vaguely known: there was a car for sale. I drove for a living yet did not own a vehicle. The couple who gave my best friend a place to stay after he was kicked out of his previous situation: leading him to take a job on the bus route and coming into my life also found good vehicles for people who needed them.

I was not necessarily in the market. Calling during what felt like the busiest Christmas season led me to think about it. Thirty-six hours later I met Natasha. That is the euphemism for being hit by a car. The driver was named Natasha. I later learned she wanted to visit me in the hospital and her attorney advised against it.

Darn lawyers. The call was not returned until February. Explaining why I did not respond then: they understood. I rode a bicycle to work. It was good exercise, more fun than jogging and the house they owned with many tenants was on Old Dominion Drive.

A treacherous part of the road with a shoulder that was approximately six inches wide led me to the driveway where I could visit The Last Friend. It was manageable and less than one hundred yards. I was cautious and careful. Smitty moved before the accident so I was not going to ride a bicycle anywhere.

Remember: I was still on crutches. This couple came across another good vehicle. It was a 1984 Chevrolet Monte Carlo with one owner. It had about 90,000 miles on it, ran well and did not cost much. I was out of work so there was not money lying around.

Lucky for me: I am thrifty. Save for such emergencies. A mechanic looked it over, gave it the thumbs up and I made the decision. When I buy shoes it usually entails many trips to department stores and trying on multiple pairs before selecting the next ones. I looked at no other vehicle and this served my purposes.

Recently I noticed this house is for sale. There is a lot of land on a major thoroughfare so multiple homes can be built. I did not speak with this couple after that. On one hand that is good. They sold me a good vehicle which expanded my horizons. With a car I could return to the gym and start exercising again after a few months of inaction.

I appreciate when others look out for my best interests. I never asked for a car nor did I covet one like the grandchildren in Gran Torino. It filled a need and opened many doors. I did not want to revert to riding the bus to work when the time came to return. It is nice when others keep people vaguely known in mind and follow through to assist them to another level.