Hand-Me-Down

Have you ever been told you'll get a car and it seems too good to be true?

The current owner says it doesn't have too many miles on it, the paint is new, upholstery is perfect; just the overall best car that could have ever been. The current owner did an amazing job with this car. They wanted to keep it, but that's not an option so they have to give it away.

Then comes the day you go pick it up. And it is nothing like the car you were promised.

The paint's chipped, exposed metal is rusting; the dashboard's cracking, upholstery is stained, and the air conditioning only works on level 1 or level 4.

You ask the current owner, what gives?

They shake your hand, give you the keys, says, "treat her right", then they leave.

Now you have this car that has been absolutely trashed, but it's yours now so you make the best of it. You fix the air conditioning first, because that's the most important. Then the upholstery, the dents, the paint. It's a slow, grueling process but it gets done. All the while, you can see the judging looks, hear the sneers and whispers as you drive by.

How could someone let their car get like that?

It's atrocious how poorly you've taken care of it.

Someone else should have taken it, they'd do better than you.

So many people looking at you, hating on you, for the state of car you inherited. No one acknowledges the effort put in to fix it, only what's still wrong. How does that seem fair? It doesn't.

Welcome to politics!