Some People Need To Learn To Give Up

Theories About My Neighbor's Truck - A Draft

My neighbor has an old truck that wants to die and he won’t let it. Once I listened to him try to start it—that same sputtering electric gasp of an engine that won’t turn over—37 times. 

I’m not exaggerating. 

He was doing this under my window and after 3 times I started purposefully counting. It was the only way to remain calm while he woke me up at 5:30 on a day I didn’t have to be at work. It was one of those moments where it was so absurdly bad it couldn’t make me mad anymore.  So I just laid there and counted. What else was I going to do, solve world hunger? Please, before coffee?

This truck had been struggling to start most mornings for weeks. This was the worst it had been.

37 effing times. What’s that classic definition of insanity? Doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results?

But then it started. 

I get it though. It’s hard to let things go. Sometimes that serotonin when it finally works is enough to push through the 36 times it doesn’t work.

But other times, you gotta ask yourself, is 36 to 1 really the odds you’re wanting to live with? We’re not inventing the light bulb here. (That took Edison 1,000 tries supposedly.)

I should also mention: He has another car. Brand new.

So, another time that same old truck had a flat tire for multiple weeks, maybe a whole month, and he didn’t do anything about it until the complex threatened to have it towed. Why? 

It is interesting the way neglect and a stubborn refusal to let go can coexist in the same person.

I’m not sure why he keeps that truck around, I speculate though. Here are my theories: 

1. Belonged to a dead lover or family member. (This is boring and too plausible.)

2. Is somehow the key to a great fortune; a diamond in the rough if you will.

3. Is a curse that follows him or a Sisyphus and the rock situation.

These theories and the ones I will continue to add to this list are how I will keep myself amused when he inevitably wakes me again.

*** This week’s newsletter is shorter because I’ve had a weird couple of weeks with some family and personal stuff. We’ll be back to regularly scheduled programming on the next one! Thank you for being along for the ride! **

In other news: I have a show coming up on the 13th at Blip Roasters for those of you in Kansas City!