I have many fond memories of my Father but one that sticks out is about his complete lack of pretension.
My Father was a top executive at big Long Island defense firm back in the days when that meant something. During college I worked a few summers there and I always got a kick out of my Father’s car. He, of course, had a primary spot reserved for the top executives. Mercedes, followed by Audi, by BMW, by Cadillac, and then my Dad’s car, a 15 yr. old hand-me-down from my Mother jalopy held together by duct-tape and prayer.
I suspect many people judged my Father by that car and I suspect I did too, but so much the better. What you don’t care about is sometimes as important as what you do.
Anyway, I was reminded of this this weekend when, after trying for some time, I harvested my first deer with a bow and arrow.
Yesterday, I loaded the deer in the back of my car. Have I mentioned my car?
I drive a Prius. Yes, a Prius. My commute to my job is 60 miles each way so I bought a Prius to save money on gas. Hippies smile at me. I don’t smile back.
Anyway, I arrived at the location where the deer butcher/taxidermist collects deer from that day’s successful hunters. As I pulled up, a large pickup truck was backed up to the butcher’s van unloading some deer. I pulled up along side in my Prius.
I got out of the car and stood next to the van as the butcher completed tagging and moving the deer into his van. As he did so, I saw him give me a few sideways wary glances. As if he half expected me to throw blood on him and call him a murderer.
When he finished with the truck’s contents he cautiously turned to me and said, “Can I help you?”
“Yes. I have a deer for drop-off.”
With mouth agape, he looked at my car and then back at me and then back at my car and said “Really?”
Yes. Really.
So the moral of the story? Don’t judge a man by his car. That man in the jalopy may be an executive and that dude in the Prius a stone cold deer killer.
Don’t judge a man by his car. Except, of course, if he is driving a “Smart Car,” then you can feel free to judge him. Judge away.
