The 'Dummy' Variable

I've never been a car enthusiast. I wasn't one of the adolescent high school boys that knew everything about computer processors and action movies, and I knew even less about cars.

So when it came time to study for my general drivers license, the mechanical book was my version of 'Cars For Dummies'. However, as much as I wanted to learn the contents of the book, I didn't want to invest any time in it. Like many exams I did before, I wanted to study to pass and nothing more, because I figured I could learn about cars some other time.

Naturally, after passing the test, the mechanics book began its gathering of dust. In a minute I forgot I forgot everything I'd studied for the test, and was back to being a 'Dummy'. This would not be a bad thing if I didn't drive. But these days I drive as much as any regular working person in Kingston does.

My girlfriend owns a car, and by extension, so do I. But it's an old car, and with an old car comes many expenses... Things leak, break, far off and disintegrate on old cars. When you own a good car, its advisable that you know how it works so that you don't have to run to your mechanic every two minutes. That said, my girlfriend and I were stuck on a lonely Kingston street a few nights ago with an overheated engine. We eventually got to a gas station where a few men helped us out. One of them just appeared out of nowhere, and looped the phrase 'Mi a mechanic' enough for me to want to knock him out. Of course, by the end of it all, as we were ready to leave he was the one standing my the car door politely waiting for 'a money'.

Anyway, the radiator was the problem. Straightforward enough problem, but 'Dummies' don't figure out straightforward things. It took Mr. Mi-A-Mechanic and company to save us...

Partially save us, anyway. They got us home. But they couldn't save us from the bill we'd have to pay when we took the car to the mechanic the following day. The other problem with being a 'dummy' is being clueless as to how much car parts and car servicing should cost. I won't quote the final amount we had to say, but I'll say it could take a decent chunk out of my salary with no more than a half-open mouth.

This is it for me. I want to remove my dummy-ness from the equation, and I'm now dedicated to learning as much as I can, so that I'll learn how to keep the costs down, and so that I won't need the services of Mr. Mi-A-Mechanic every time something goes wrong.