I sat on the passenger seat of a brand new apple red Ferrari, visibly on edge as we peeled out of the parking lot of Prestige Imports and onto Biscayne Blvd. Ariana was one of my younger clients. She was making her mark as an up-and-coming software designer, and although she was not as wealthy as my other patrons, she was well on her way.
"I'm so glad I was approved for that auto loan, she exclaimed. "I can't wait to show this baby to my friends!"
My attention drifted inward as my mind formulated an interesting analogy... Loving on credit.
Fact: Most relationships operate...on a subconscious credit system.
There is a sense of ownership that accompany status symbols. Automobiles, homes, expensive jewelry...all add to the importance of accomplishment and the feeling that one has undoubtedly arrived. You finally have it all! That's the illusion of good credit...
"Did you even hear a word I said?" snapped Ariana."It's like I'm over here talking to myself."
In my profession, an occasional fib is acceptable.
So I lied...
"I heard every word you said, sweetheart. Continue."
(Now, where were we? Oh yeah.)
Let's go deeper.
When you emotionally fall for a person, you "buy" that relationship on credit. You get to test drive it, take it home, and use it any way you like. Being free to handle the merchandise in such a manner creates a false sense of security. You begin to believe that you actually own these items, but in reality, you do not; the BANK does. You are simply a borrower, and they will never belong to you until you pay the total price of ownership; they only appear to be yours. This can be proven by neglecting a few payments. See how long it takes before the valid owner comes to repossess their property. So it is with love. No matter how excited you are about that new relationship, in the beginning, that person will never belong to you until you eventually pay the total price over time. Miss a few payments by consistently mistreating them and seeing how long they stick around. It takes time to develop great credit (or a great relationship), and it takes time to maintain or destroy it.
'It's so responsive. I can let go of the wheel, and it would drive itself!"
I tightly closed my eyes.
Beware of impulse buying.
This type of spending usually leaves us holding a bag of regret. We saw something that we thought we wanted and made a quick, emotional decision without thoroughly weighing our options. Now you're stuck. Often, the first deal is not the best, and hasty decisions leave us paying for some undesired thing. (usually for eighteen years and longer), with the precious years of our life. These headaches could have been avoided if we had only taken a Kit Kat moment. Window shop (date) and come back tomorrow. It's wise to slow down to be sure because time wasted is time lost.
"This thing can fly! We're almost at the beach, Vincent."
"I see, and it was a lot more comfortable than riding your broomstick."
"I bet you wish I were riding your broomstick. Let's see you use that smart mouth later on tonight."
Final thought... Be honest with yourself.
Do a self-evaluation. You know your drama better than anyone else does. Would you really date yourself? If not, change. You must first become the type of person you are hoping to attract. I hate to be blunt, but if you are perpetually attracting losers, the apple isn't falling too far from the tree.
I smiled as we skidded to a stop. Not that I was fazed by the faces of the gawkers as we raised the doors and stepped from the belly of the high-performance beast, I was smiling because I was still in one piece. I smoothed the wrinkles in my white linen shirt as I walked around, grabbed Ariana by her waist, and looked her dead in her soft green eyes.
'Why wait until later when I can put my smart mouth to use right now?"
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