My 19yo brother tells me the other night that he test drove an Audi A4 and is considering buying it with his signing bonus from the Guard. I was so angry I could've punched him right then and there, at the concert in front of everyone. See, this particular car is my dream car, although now an attainable dream after five years of wanting. I have plans to buy one next year after I finish grad school. He knows this. In fact, I'm confident the only reason he's even familiar with the car at all is because I've been talking about wanting one all this time.
My frustration comes from two places, the first being practical in nature and the second being entirely emotional.
1) He's being short-sighted, which is par for the course with him but it disappoints more and more as time goes on and one might expect he'd grow out of it even a little. Instead of getting a new reasonable car that will be respectable AND last him forever (an Accord, for example), he wants an older luxury car because image is far more important than rationality. He is becoming exactly what I saw coming (mentioned in my last post in fact, I believe), that stereotypical kid that gets a little money from the military and all the sudden thinks he's a high roller and can't wait to show off.
2) That's MY car. No one wants a copycat friend. And this isn't even a copycat, he's trying to get it before me! Yes, he needs a car. But don't get MY car, the car I've spent my adult life pining for but was waiting until it was a responsible decision before I bought it. The way I look at it, I've earned this luxury through hard work and patience and he hasn't earned shit.
I realize it's only a car. And I also realize I could still get it even if he buys one. But WTF?!
My frustration comes from two places, the first being practical in nature and the second being entirely emotional.
1) He's being short-sighted, which is par for the course with him but it disappoints more and more as time goes on and one might expect he'd grow out of it even a little. Instead of getting a new reasonable car that will be respectable AND last him forever (an Accord, for example), he wants an older luxury car because image is far more important than rationality. He is becoming exactly what I saw coming (mentioned in my last post in fact, I believe), that stereotypical kid that gets a little money from the military and all the sudden thinks he's a high roller and can't wait to show off.
2) That's MY car. No one wants a copycat friend. And this isn't even a copycat, he's trying to get it before me! Yes, he needs a car. But don't get MY car, the car I've spent my adult life pining for but was waiting until it was a responsible decision before I bought it. The way I look at it, I've earned this luxury through hard work and patience and he hasn't earned shit.
I realize it's only a car. And I also realize I could still get it even if he buys one. But WTF?!