Susan LaffertyThe simple Indonesian rice bowl broke.
It was a “free with purchase of dish detergent” blue and white china bowl. So common and ordinary. A reminder of my childhood.
But it slipped from my hands, hit the marble countertop in our Delhi flat and broke in two. The last straw in a long day, week, month…year.
And I broke.
Ordinary, simple vessel on the floor in pieces.
On beach vacations in my childhood, I made little sand bowls. Piled up a mountain of sand, scooped out the top, then slowly poured a cup of water in.
It baked in the tropical heat. And I baked in the tropical heat. Then, brushing away the loose sand, I lifted out a fragile oddly-shaped sand bowl.
The momentary art of a child at play.
The surf moved in and out. I sat in the vast ocean holding my little creation. A large wave drenched me. The bowl dissolved. Wet sand ran through my fingers in the waves. Delightful.
Then I made another one.
This spring we looked for a car. A reliable used car. It’s been years since our last search. The integrity of the car—and the car salesman—matters. It did then. It does today.
But car-shopping has changed. Now you can shop online and find a fairly detailed history of the vehicle you’re interested in. The number of owners. Where it’s been registered. If it’s been in any accidents or had any recalls.
Are there any dents, scratches, or chipped paint? There’s a “360-degree” visual of the exterior and the interior. Most of the research is accomplished before you ever set eyes on the car or take it out for a drive.
Back in the day, someone could hide a vehicle’s history. Make it look good. Hit all the sales points with conviction. We searched for a trustworthy used car salesman. Wondered if the car was truly as good on the inside as it looked on the outside.
Integrity matters.