Used Car Lot

    Ever since Sam was a boy, he dreamed of owning his own Camero.  He bought magazines about Cameros, had posters of them on his walls, and even had a few models that he put together.  

    Unfortunately, when Sam got to be driving age, he couldn’t afford his dream car.  His first car consisted of one that looked the closest to his dream silver Camero.  Granted, his first car was a silver Ford, but he figured that, perhaps, it could provide him with the same satisfaction of his dream car.  However, after 9 short months, the silver Ford collapsed just when Sam was starting to love the car.  

    Shortly after, Sam bought a few more silver cars.  Not his dream cars, but what he could afford.  Sure enough, each one died crushing Sam each and every time.  

    Finally, Sam decided to “upgrade” from buying vehicles from individual owners.  He thought that if he went to a car lot, he would have better luck.  

    Despite the financial devastation he experienced from his first automobiles, he was able to work hard and earn 3,000 dollars toward another car.  He took his money, this time, to a used car lot.  At the lot, he met a unique character, Frank, who smelled like cigars and had grease in his fingernails.  Frank had stringy, greasy, long hair, but beautiful blue eyes.  Sam’s first instincts were that he shouldn’t trust Frank.  However, he ignored those instincts and allowed Frank into convincing him to buy a lovely silver Grand Am.  

    “This is an excellent car”, Frank convinced.  “It won’t give you any problems at all.  It’s the best one on this lot.  It’s actually worth a lot more than it’s priced for.  But for you, I will give it to you.  How much do you have?”

    “Three thousand dollars,” said Sam sheepishly.  

    “I’ll tell you what, you can have it for $2900.  Consider it a gift.”

    “Wow!  Thank you, Frank!” shouted Sam.  “That is so nice of you!”  I am so thankful!”

    “My pleasure”, smiled Frank.  Sam drove away with the car considering it to be the car of his dreams.  He considered it destiny.  Suddenly, the look and “label” of a car didn’t matter to him.  He wanted something “reliable”.  Sam trusted Frank that this silver Grand Am was reliable.  

    But after a few short months, the Grand Am surprised Sam.  It suddenly failed one day as he was on his way to work.  It couldn’t have been at a worse time.  Sam was on his way to a meeting with his boss about becoming a manager.  Sam’s car wasn’t merciful nor was his boss.  Sam missed the meeting and his opportunity for a promotion.   He was devastated.  His heart was wounded.  

    After recovering from his wound, he destined to go back to Frank’s used car lot.  He talked himself into believing that it was an honest mistake on Frank’s part.  “Frank, I’d like to buy another car from you,” said Sam.  

    “Gee, Sam…..You don’t know how sorry I am about the Grand Am.  I was wrong.  Will you forgive me?”  Even though it cost him a promotion, Sam humbly forgave.

    “Don’t worry about it.  We all make mistakes.”

    “Thanks, Sam!” said Frank.  “Now that THAT mistake is out of the way, let’s look into buying a new car.  I have this silver Buick.   I know you like Silver.  This one will SURELY be reliable.  I promise.”

    With that, Sam bought the car for $3500.  Again, he was happy to be with a car again.  But guess what?  A few months later, the car broke on his way to a date with a girl that he had been eyeing for months.  “Damn….this couldn’t have come at a worse time!” he shouted as he banged on the steering wheel trapped on the express way.  “Frank lied to me!  I am going to yell at him as soon as I can!”

    After missing his date, Sam borrowed a friend’s car the next day to confront Sam.  “Sam….what’s going on?  Why did you lie to me?  Why did you tell me that this was a reliable car?  This, too, has become a lemon!”  Sam’s heart was now broken.

    Frank became defensive.  “How dare you bring up the previous car!  This was a mistake.  I didn’t mean to give you a lemon.  How dare you accuse me!”

    “But Frank….” responded Sam.  “It was your fault.  You should have known what you were selling me.”  

    “Look, it was a mistake,” said Frank.  “This time, I will give you a nice car complete with a warranty!”  

    Sam was apprehensive.  But he couldn’t resist Frank’s innocent blue eyes.  He was scared.  Two failed cars already.  He lost close to $7000 that was thrown down the drain on lemons.  Would he risk it again?  He knew he couldn’t afford another faulty car.  He really didn’t trust Frank.  But what could he do?  Where else could he go?  He certainly couldn’t afford a new car.  And although his dreams of a silver Camero were still there, he knew that he would have to shelve those dreams a little while longer.

    “Ok, Frank…. I’ll buy ONE LAST car from you.  But it better be good!  You have robbed me of a lot of money.  You have robbed me from many of my dreams, but we have a friendship.  For the sake of that friendship, I will trust you again.  Besides, I know your business is about to go bankrupt.  I want to help you out.  What do you have for a car?” asked Sam.  

    “Well, I have this silver Camero.  It’s what you’ve always dreamed of.  I’ve been saving it just for you!”

    “No way!”  shouted Sam.  “But how?  How can I afford it?”

    “Well,” assured Frank, “it’s going to be a gift.  I will sell it to you for much less than it’s really worth because I know you’ve been wanting one all of your life”.

    “Wow, Frank!  I don’t know what to say.  Are you sure?  How can I know that I can trust you?”

    “Well”, said Frank confidently, “here is the warranty.  Here is your proof.  It’s the real thing, Sam.”

    As scared and untrusting as Sam was, he accepted the silver Camero with the warranty.  He hesitantly drove away.  Although shaking in fear, he convinced himself, “The warranty….the warranty….the warranty…..”

    Every time the Camero made a squeal or rumble, Sam took it in to be repaired by an auto mechanic.  He did all that he could to save the little Camero from dying.  He took care of it.  He polished it.  He maintained it regularly.  But despite all of his efforts, the Camero died on the way to his father’s funeral.  

    In utter despair, Sam shouted, “Damn Frank!  Damn Cameros!  Damn life!  Why did I ever dream?  Life sucks…..cars suck…..It’s all Frank’s fault!  That absolute liar!  Why did I believe him?  Was I insane?  I will never go back to him again!  He just lost me as a customer!”  

    Sam caught a cab to his father’s funeral.  As mad as he was about his car and as sad as he was about his father, he saw a sight that behooved him.  Frank had the audacity to show up at the funeral!
Sam wanted to start a fight immediately.  He shoved Frank in the chest.   “You are such a fraud!  You are such a liar!  I will NEVER buy a car from you again!  How dare you use me for your own profit!  Do you realize how much money I have given you?  Do you realize how much mercy I’ve given you?  I’ve given you chance after chance.  And STILL you deceive me.  What is wrong with you?  Why are you so cruel?”

    “Sam….Sam….,” whispered Frank.  “Calm down.  It wasn’t me.  Honest.  It was the car.  I couldn’t help it.”

    “But you sold it to me!  How could you confidently sell something that you weren’t totally sure about?”  yelled Sam.  

    “It’s difficult to explain,” responded Frank.  “Please…..let me give you another car.”

    “What?  So it can die again?” laughed Sam sarcastically.  “You have got to be out of your mind!  I have given you all of my hard earned money.  I have given you my trust.  I have given you my friendship.  I have given you the benefit of the doubt.  And yet, you continue to lie to me!  We are through, Frank!  You ruined it!  I cannot even fathom trusting you!  You promised me my dream car.  Yet you knew that it was a lemon.  All you cared about was you and your money!  I won’t fall for your games anymore!”

    ”Sam,” responded Frank, “you are out of your mind.  It’s YOUR fault.”

    “WHAT??????” hollered Sam.  “MY fault?  You’ve got to be kidding!  Are you insane?”

    “Sam, you should trust me.  It’s not my fault that you don’t trust me.  Honestly, I have a car for you.  You can’t judge it.  It hasn’t proven to be bad.  You can’t assume it will be based upon your previous cars from me.”

    “Frank, it’s not the cars that I don’t trust.  It’s YOU!  You confidently sold me these cars.  You assured me that each one was a good and reliable vehicle.  Your system of evaluating cars is flawed.  Either you lied or you don’t know what you are doing.”  

    “Sam, how dare you judge me?  This new vehicle is good.  For you not to accept it is your fault.  You are just paranoid.”

    “Frank, get out of here!” shouted Sam.  “You are the biggest fraud I’ve ever met!”

    “Sam, let me prove it to you,” pleaded Frank.]

    “No.”
      
    “Please.”

    “No.”

    “Come on….”

    “Never…”

    “Forgive me.”

    “I forgive you.  But I won’t buy a car from you.”

    “What if I give you a warranty?”

    “You gave me a warranty before, but it was false.”

    “Please , Sam…..”

    “No…..NEVER again.  No warranty.  No promises.  Give me a car.  If it lasts for 6 years, THEN I will believe you.  No more words.  No more empty promises.  Let’s see some substance.”

    “Sam, you are being conditional.”

    “No I’m not!  I’m being rational.”

    “You are being unforgiving.”

    “No, I’m being wise.  Fool me once, shame on you.  Fool me twice, shame on me.  Fool me three times, shame on ?????.  Fool me four times…..that’s insanity.  Your words are not good enough.  Your warranties aren’t good enough.  Only time….and only an intense proving on your part that you are a salesman of integrity.  Because all that I’ve seen is a fraud.  Can you prove integrity over time?”

    “That’s legalistic.”

    “No….that’s wise.”

    “You have a problem with forgiveness.”

    “No, you have a problem with honesty and integrity.”

    “Please Sam…..”

    “Please Frank…..”  

    Sam determined that he was done with lesser things.  He knew that in order to find his dream Camero, it would take time and hard work.  Deep down, he wanted to buy one from Frank because he actually liked Frank.  But, from his experience, he learned that Frank couldn’t be trusted.  IF PERHAPS, Frank were to provide this “dream car”, only time and incredible sacrifice on Frank’s part could reverse the damage.  Frank, if him, would have to PROVE that he is capable of delivering a good, reliable, quality car.  If Frank couldn’t live up to those standards, Sam was determined to look elsewhere.