Years ago, my Aunt Minnie decided that it was time she owned an automobile.
Very few families owned automobiles then, especially maiden ladies, but one friend after another joined the ranks of the motorist until it was more than Aunt Minnie could stand.
When she went to the weekly meeting of the Sewing Circle, she was left completely out of the conversation. Now, the talk was about engine horse power, where once it was about flower gardens, pies, and that hussy down at the end of the street. The Ladies Aid Society was not quite so bad. There was yet some mention of the Bible, foreign missions, and the preacher’s wife, but there was also more and more talk about miles per gallon and how to repair a puncture.
Being left out of the conversation was enough to cause Aunt Minnie to buy an automobile, but she had a very sharp eye and never failed to notice the look of amazement at her negative answer when asked what make of automobile she owned.
So Minnie bought an automobile. She didn’t waste time either, but went straight to the dealer and pointed out the one she liked, and said, “I’ll take that one!”. She wrote out a check for the full amount and told the dealer to send it out the following week. The next stop was at the office of a contractor where she ordered a garage built to house the automobile. The garage was built on schedule and the new automobile was delivered. The salesman who delivered the automobile informed Aunt Minnie that he came prepared to give her some lessons in driving and if she would make a list of the dates convenient to her he would be most happy to teach her to drive. That day was not convenient for the first lesson, so she asked the salesman to drive the automobile into the garage for her and promised to let him know when it would be convenient for her to begin driving lessons.
Day after day passed; without Aunt Minnie calling the salesman. It seemed that something would always come up on each occasion that she was ready to begin the lessons. Weeks rolled by and so did the months, but Aunt Minnie’s automobile remained in the garage where the salesman had placed it. At the end of the year she bought a new license for the Automobile but never got around to calling the salesman or taking her first lesson in driving.
Years passed, and at the beginning of each year she bought a new license, but never moved the car. This continued until the day she died. Poor old Aunt Minnie never realized the pleasures and travel convenience she missed for no other reason than the fact that she just never made up her mind to get started.
The automobile was hers, and paid for. The streets and roads were there and she helped to pay for them too, but the automobile remained in the garage. The only pleasure she obtained from the automobile was in her ability to tell her friends that she owned an automobile.
I know you will agree that Aunt Minnie was a screwball, but don’t be too hard on her until after you take a good look in the mirror.
Did you write out a check for your initiation fees as aunt Minnie wrote out one for her automobile license?
Did you take the degrees just as aunt Minnie had a garage built?
Do you pay your dues and get your card each year just as aunt Minnie bought the license for her automobile?
Do you take an active part and attend the meetings so you can really enjoy your membership, or do you let your membership sit in the garage and rust like Aunt Minnie’s automobile?
- if you do
- “Hi! Aunt Minnie!’
