I Haven't Made It In Life!

Does having a luxurious and expensive car define you as someone who has made it in life?

This morning when I arrived at work and was parking my car, one of the printing agents that normally come to my office to get stuff done was also in the midst of parking next to me. After we both parked our car and got out, the usual good mornings and hello's were exchanged.

Then he looked at my car and said to me rather bluntly,

'Hey Nick, when you going to change your car to something classier?'

'Why?' I asked him.

'To show that you've made it in life' he said.

I was dumbfounded by his answer. You mean to tell me that the way to judge if a person has made it in life is by how expensive his car is? Good god almighty, judging by how old and beat up my car is, that must make me a loser. OHMYGOD! I'd better go buy myself a brand new Mercedes Benz or something. I mean, I can't very well drive my old clunker if I wanna look like I've made it in life!

Geez, granted my car is pretty old and all that, but it doesn't necessarily represent my status in life. It's only a blooming car that gets me from point A to point B. I could always go out and buy a new car, something cool looking but what would be the point? I'd be owing the bank for the next 5-9 years. Then one day when I can't pay my installments I'd have the bank chasing me like crazy. I don't have that with my car now seeing as how it's fully paid up.

I was really dumbstruck by his statement. This coming from a guy who owed people, including us a heck of a lot of outstanding payments. This coming from a guy who would always NEVER offer to pay when we have drinks at the mamak stall downstairs. This coming from a guy who had to once or twice rush to our office to tell us not to bank in the cheques he gave us cos there was not enough funds in his bank account!

And yet he tells me that just cos his car is better, bigger and more expensive than mine that he has made it in life. I'll bet he's even probably defaulted on his car installments and has the bank chasing his to pay up constantly. Well, if that's his way of saying that he's made it in life, well good for him.

I really cannot understand this obsession with some people that they have to show off that they're doing well (which half the time is the actual opposite) and flaunt their big, huge and often times luxurious cars so that people might just look at them with awe and say,

'Whoa, check out his car, that's a guy who has made it in life!'

What do you think should be the criteria for one to have made it in life? A big house with some plasma mounts? A huge car with state of the art hi-fi? An expensive Patek Phillippe on your wrist? Would those portray you as someone who has made it in life? I don't know about you, but it doesn't work that way for me.

The next time he comes to my office pleading with us to not cash his cheque, these words would definitely leave my lips,

'But I thought you made it in life, what? You mean you got no money in your bank, ah?'
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