Cars

So I've never really been much of a car person. In fact, as far as I'm concerned, cars are a necessary evil. You put money into them to buy them, and from that point on it's a loosing proposition. There's money to maintain them and their value constantly goes down. Whenever I say this there's bound to be someone to say that not all cars go down in value. And then there's the inevitable story about the '57 Chevy that they bought for $2,000 in high school and would be worth 10 times that today had they not sold it or totaled it or whatever. But, every car that I ever have, or ever will buy is going to go down in value. So like I said, it's a necessary evil.

That being said, I went to the Detroit Auto Show yesterday with a group of guys from my church. This is the third year in a row that I've attended the Auto Show, and while I'm not a big fan of cars, I actually had a good time. I suppose it helps that I'm a naturally inquisitive person, so I can find a lot of interesting things with both production cars and concept cars. It also helps that I'm a people person - I like being with people and watching people - and the Auto Show gives me an opportunity to spend some time with guys from my church and observe all kinds of different people.

Still, for all of that there is a part of me that wonders, "Is it ok to like the Auto Show???" Not that I think it's wrong to attend the auto show, it's just that it's consumerism in all it's glory. And for all of the rational parts of my mind that say that cars are a necessary evil, there's something about new, shinny cars with that new car smell. It kind of makes you want to take out a great big loan and make monthly car payments so that I can have the newest thing that's going to go down in value as it gets me from place to place.

On second thought, I think my current cars are just fine thank you very much, but there's always next year...