The Man Cave: Playing it Cool, Grandpa Style

I got a new car last week. It's red.

Sitting in the "closing room" at the dealership I couldn't help but think back to the first car I ever bought. My grandpa cosigned. I remember being overwhelmed and nervous, while grandpa sat there in his ostrich-skin cowboy boots, one leg kicked over the other, looking as cool as the other side of the pillow.

Now I get it.


I remember another time I watched grandpa signing the papers for an apartment he was leasing. He was just as cool and composed then as he had been at the car dealership. On the way home I remarked to Kathy "Did you see how casual he acted? I would have been crapping my pants!"

Now, I've spent my fair time on Family Strong slagging on grandpas, but I have to give credit where credit is due. By the time one reaches grandpa age, one has done a fair amount of living. One has purchased many cars, signed many papers, dealt with many people, and observed many things. That's a lot of accumulated wisdom and experience, and nothing makes one calm in stressful situations like wisdom and experience.

Buying my new red car last week, I was surprised at how confident I felt. In all the shopping Kathy and I did, I was never intimidated or confused by car salesmen or their pitches. I was never nervous. I understood the process and knew exactly what I was signing. I never let myself be pressured, and I got exactly what I wanted.

I know even as I write these words that my siblings will be using them as a weapon against me, so I'll just come out and say it: dang it if I didn't actually feel little like grandpa. If only I had some ostrich-skin boots.