SAYING GOODBYE TO THE BOSS

The Boss is gone.

It wasn't stolen, destroyed, or repossessed. It wasn't hijacked, traded for rare coins or given to a charity that saves whales (although that IS a good cause). I wasn't hypnotized to give it to an evil scientist, held at gunpoint (like I was previously – I wrote about it [here], or promised stock options to Apple.

I sold it.

Now.... if you have followed along in this journey with me, I wrote about the unlikely decision to buy the Mustang [here] and didn't plan on being a FORMER owner.... EVER! This was a bucket list car that I loved driving, was proud to see the reaction from people young and old, and could see myself behind the wheel decades from now, assuming I'm AROUND decades from now.

But, things change. I'm sure you all have had something that was very important to you but as time went by, it wasn't nearly as relevant. For me, that was matching my lifestyle to my income. I put myself in position that did not allow many luxuries (skipping some meals in the process – and YES I know I could afford to miss MANY, MANY more...) because I had the car to pay for. In the beginning, it wasn't so bad. I had savings to fall back on but once it was drawn down to a few pennies, my perspective changed considerably. All of a sudden, having this car wasn’t so cool....

While I had it, it was even better than I imagined. The joy of driving, even to nowhere in particular, was unlike anything I experienced thus far. Even a trip to the store (and parking WAAAAAAY far away from any other cars!!) became an event. If you aren't a car nut, you may not know the sensation, but it put a smile on my face every time. Like when I imagine a stranger enjoying the things I write.... smiles that won't end for hours after.

Many people have said “wanting” and “having” are two different things and I can agree. Wanting didn't bring with it the cost of ownership. Having a garage to store it, insurance to cover it, and a second vehicle to drive on the cloudy days are essential to keeping a special edition special – and like new! The costs overran my ability to earn enough money to keep the whole party going, so.......

I now ONLY have a clunker to drive for a while.

It isn't so bad, believe me. The pressure of counting every dollar is no longer there. That has a way of ruining almost anything. I think most of you can agree because most of us have gone through some suffering by making choices that are maybe less-than-suitable. In my case, it was worth every dollar I spent.

I got to live a dream that I couldn't realistically imagine. There was no way I would EVER have thought being an owner of a BOSS Mustang would be part of my story. To be able to look back and still feel the rumble of the exhaust, the blasts down the back roads, and the enjoyment of cleaning it back to looking like I just drove it out of the showroom is a memory that keeps on giving back. Daily.

I encourage everyone to strive for a dream. One that you may think is just beyond reach. Not only will you have the satisfaction of the experience, you will be enriched by knowing dreams DO come true....

Now.... to start working on that dream of dinner with Taylor.....