So you wanta buy a car, sweetie?

Many years ago when I was a fresh faced Real Estate Agent! I had my heart set on a new car. I worked my little tush off earning money, and it was burning a hole in my pocket. The fact I was driving clients around in a pale blue Volkswagon bus was my motivation.

My Hubby offered to go with me to look at cars, because my knowledge of vehicles was a little less than his. We drove the half hour to Olympia, Washington from our small town, Montesano to look at several dealerships in search for the perfect vehicle for ME!

The first place we stopped was well-stocked with used vehicles. One Red Mercury caught my eye at the same time the salesman approached us. “She’s a beauty, isn’t she, sir?” he said. Hubby said, “Yes, it looks great, my wife is buying the car for her Real Estate business.”

“Sir, would you like to try it out? We can take it for a drive so you can see how it handles in city traffic.” Shirl looked at me and I nodded yes. He said to the salesman, which may have been retired military, “Yes, my wife would like to try it out.”

Mr. Salesman had us wait for him to go get the keys. While he was gone, we giggled a little at the fact that he didn’t talk to me, only to Shirl, my hubby. Back he hustled with the keys, which he handed to Shirl, and opened the front driver’s side door for him to enter. We looked at each other and smiled, and Shirl got behind the wheel.

Mr. Salesman then opened the rear door an “helped” me in the back seat. He then got in on the passenger side beside Shirl. Telling him all the features of the car. I asked a couple questions and he gave Shirl the answers. We drove around for a little while, and Shirl finally said, “This handles nice, but like we told you, my wife is the one buying the car, so maybe she should try it out, too.

“Yes, of course.” Mr. Salesman said, as he pulled over and parked. He helped me into the front drivers seat, and putting Shirl in the back seat. “Now Mrs. Colbath, this is the emergency brake, and you release it like this. You just pull the gear shift handle down to the “D” on the display, and you are good to go. The peddle on the left, next to the gas peddle is the brake. You should push it gently unless you need to stop very quickly. This car is very powerful so gently press the gas.”

I followed his instructions, both my husband and I barely keeping from cracking up. I have to admit, I had a great time giving Mr. Salesman the ride of his life all over Olympia. This was pre-seatbelts, and by the time I brought him back to the dealership, he was probably in need of a bathroom break, if it wasn’t too late.

We thanked him and went on our way.

Have a good day, and stay safe.

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Published by Time Traveler of Life

Biography Creating worlds, characters, and wielding power like a madwoman, making my characters happy, sad, angry, and some of them with no redeeming qualities. I probably shouldn’t admit this, but I sometimes laugh out loud when I am writing a scene, and I have been known to cry when one of my favorites has to die. I am a left-handed Gemini, what do you expect? Reading bedtime stories to my two children until they fell asleep or until they just told me to go away, was fun. Making up wild stories for my grandchild, and creating Halloween costumes from Cowboys to a Dragon, was another favorite thing to do. I missed that so much when they were grown, that I started writing. My yearly newsletters frequently were drafted third-person by my Love Birds, Miranda our motorhome, and by Sir Fit the White Knight, our faithful Honda. Throughout the years, some of my creative talents centered around writing letters of complaint expressing my displeasure with services or products. One crucial, at least to my Son, was a note to our local school bus driver petitioning her to allow him back on the bus. He was kicked off for making an obscene gesture at his buddy. I reminded her that it was not directed at her, and that “obscenity can be in the eye of the beholder,” kids use that gesture as a greeting. He rode the bus until he graduated. I loved driving my English teacher crazy. Leaving a “continued next week” at the end of my five handwritten pages required each week. He was one of many people that suggested I “do something about my writing.” I graduated from the School of Hard Knocks at the top of my class. After 30 years, in the trenches as a Real Estate Professional, I have found that truth is stranger than fiction. My books are filled with characters I met in that profession. Their names were changed to protect the guilty. Others were from people we met traveling around the country in Miranda, our Motorhome. I am married nearly 60 years to the love of my life, Shirl, and partner-produced two exceptionally talented children, and one grandchild who is our pride and joy.

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