Taking The World On With A Smile!

WooHoo and YipPee! I’ve gone and leased myself a brand new car!

Since mid-summer I’ve been doing the leg work, going from dealer to dealer, counting and calculating, talking and test-driving. Finally, it’s a done deal. Well, almost, I haven’t been able to connect my Blue-tooth yet but that’s just a minor technicality compared to where I began.

As most things tend to go in my life, it wasn’t all smooth sailing. In fact, a few weeks ago, I had to remind myself, “not to quit. Rest if you must, but never give up.”

Life has a way of presenting its challenges at what usually seems to be the most inopportune time, for me anyway. When I least expect it, need or want it, I’m faced with a situation that challenges my ability to deal with it and overcome it.

I’ve come to accept that life has it’s own course and either you go with it or you don’t. You move forward and progress or you get stuck. As difficult as moving forward can be, for me, staying stuck is far more painful, not to mention, detrimental.

A little over two years ago, I realized I was stuck, complacent and tired – really tired. When I decided it was time to change, things started to happen. I started to change. I seized life and it seized me.

Once the course was set, there was no turning back.

So, here I am now, in the position of having to get myself a new car. No big deal you say? I beg to differ. It’s only been 23 years since the last time I set out to get myself a car and after having lingered in complacency where I sometimes just took things for granted for the last several years, it was a huge hurdle I needed to overcome. It was a big deal and intimidating at first but I knew I needed to do this and I knew I had to do it, on my own.

That’s how we know what we’re capable of, isn’t it? By trying, despite our fears and then ultimately making it through what to us, feels like the hard stuff.

Here’s the hitch. When I reached this particular dealership after having been to a half-dozen others over the previous few months, I knew this was going to be the last stop. With my two kids in tow, we headed inside. I also knew the drill. I’d done my homework. I’m a straight shooter and don’t like to waste time or haggle. I come clean with what I want and what I can pay, right at the get-go.

The receptionist called for a salesman, we waited a few minutes and the moment he appeared, I knew. I just knew by his demeanor that this wasn’t going to be the cake-walk it should have been. He was nonchalant, disinterested and indifferent at best. He was chewing something, looked the three of us over, nodded at me, swallowed and said, “Can I help you?”

His words were insincere. I felt like I had just interrupted his lunch.

Nonetheless, I told him the two models I was interested in. He paused and waved us outside. We followed.  In the lot, he motioned his hand toward two cars parked side by side, smiled a most unconvincing, smile and waited for me to make the next move. He never invited me to test drive either car or to come back inside. He never asked me if I had any questions.

I thanked him and left.

Maybe it was the car I drove there in or the fact that I was a woman with two kids in tow. Perhaps, I’ll never really know.  What I do know is that he didn’t take me seriously, at all.  I felt disrespected by his treatment. Even my kids noticed:

What’s up with that guy Mom? Doesn’t he know you want to buy a car? my daughter asked. Well, I said, he just lost that sale.

Disheartened and disappointed by this chauvinist, the more I thought about it, the more annoyed I got. I wanted to test drive those models. I wanted one of those cars and the closest dealership of the same kind is 40-minutes away. I didn’t want to have to get my car so far away when there was a dealer less than 10-minutes from where I live. I shouldn’t have to and after a few weeks of brooding, it occurred to me.

I didn’t have to.

Last week I returned to the same dealer. This time, I was completely alone. When the receptionist asked me had I been here before, I said “yes”. When she looked up my name she said, “Oh let me get the salesman who helped you last time.”

I could see him looking up and over toward me from behind his desk in the glass enclosure that is his office.  I directed my attention toward the receptionist and said,

No thank you. I don’t want his help. He didn’t seem to take me seriously the last time I was here and I’m quite serious about getting a car.

Without missing a beat, the woman picked up her phone and called for another salesman.

I have a customer here in the showroom, can you come and help her?

Ten minutes later I was test-driving the car I wanted.

Two days later I signed the lease to my new car!

During the test drive, the new salesman, a seemingly normal, decent, nice guy, asked me what happened with the first guy and after telling him about my experience, I asked if the first guy was the manager?

No, he replied, but he has aspirations. And by the way, you’re not the first person to complain about his attitude.

Vindication. Thank you.

Life has it’s own course. Rest if you must but never give up.

For the last two years I’ve been facing challenge after challenge, moving forward with trepidation hoping that I have what it takes to make it through.

I don’t give up, I don’t quit and I find, that I do.

And I love my new car!

Photo Credit #1 Celebration

Photo Credit #2 New Car

Photo Credit #3 Light Bulb