Monday, March 14, 2022
If you’ve ever tried to read Homer’s Odyssey, you know it’s a very tough, dense slog. And that is especially true if you try to read it in the original Greek because as the saying goes, “It’s all Greek to me.”
I did find an amazing English translation from 1614. For anyone to write a 24 volume poem about the Trojan War is quite a feat. Apparently, Homer had nothing better to do in his life than write a 24 volume poem in Greek about the Greek hero Odysseus.
Currently, I’m wading through my own tough, dense slog trying to understand all the electronic stuff on my new Honda Odyssey. How someone can make driving a new car so complicated is beyond me. But once you get it, it is pretty cool.
You may recall someone slid his Hummer through the intersection of 68th St and Kalamazoo Ave several weeks ago and t-boned my 2014 Odyssey. 
Then last week, I happened to be driving by Fox Honda and saw a beautiful new 2021 Odyssey. I jumped out just to record the VIN number to research that car at home on the internet and before I could leave, a salesman had me cornered.
“WHAT? YOU KIDDING ME?”
The auto market is so messed up now, that the repair shop can’t get new parts for the repair until May! So I told the salesman, “You get me a good trade-in on my old car and we’ll talk.” My old car has a trade-in value of $10,000, but the dealership gave me $13,000 because the older Odysseys are in very high demand.
So, I bought a new 2021 Odyssey last week. Even more messed up: that 2021 had an original sticker price of $44,000, but I bought it for $46,000. As the salesman explained, “It’s not what you think a car is worth, it’s what the market thinks it’s worth and if you don’t want it, we’ll sell it to someone else by the end of the week. That’s why we’re giving you an extra $3,000 for your old car. And, good luck finding a 2022 Odyssey for less than $50,000 – they’re just not around due to a shortage of computer chips.”
I hate driving around a damaged car – it makes me feel as sad as the car feels ugly.
The girls love the new car. But we did take time tonight to reminisce about the old car. We have some wonderful memories. It is, after all, the car that I taught Fo and Claire how to drive. And last summer, Fo and I have some wonderful memories of driving to Walmart and back several times as I taught her how to get and interview for a job in America.
Claire and I have had some deep discussions in that car about life and growing up. I’m so honored she trusts me enough to share her life with me.
And the times when it was just Jasmine and me: she loves being the center of attention and riding in the front seat. Sometimes she asks me if I think she talks too much, I tell her if she has something to say, I’ll listen and take an interest. And I’m honored beyond belief that Mediatrice trusts me with her daughters.
“WHAT DID YOU JUST DO?”
Tonight, I took all 3 girls out. Fo suddenly exclaimed, “Claire, Bob has Bluetooth!” Less than 60 seconds later, Fo uploaded her playlist from her phone to my car!
“What did you just do?”
Claire answered, “We put better music in your car!”
“But you haven’t even read the book yet. How did you know what to do?”
Jasmine answered, “Bob, it’s Bluetooth! That’s not hard to understand!”
Well… I’m amazed! Immigrants in America less than 5 years and they know more about my car than me!
I’m not generally a big fan of hip-hop, but the girls listen to hip-hop that has an African blues feel to it that I think is quite beautiful. Imagine: a 62-year-old white guy being introduced for the first time to the beauty of African blues hip-hop. The girls are more of a blessing to me than I can sometimes fathom.
Tonight, Claire reminded me her birthday is a week from Thursday. I asked what she wanted. She said a new car like this one!
I told her I’d put that on the top of my list, but just in case that doesn’t work out, maybe something a little cheaper.
“How much cheaper?”, she asked.
Maybe something in about the $40 to $50 range.
But I do like her assertiveness. You have to think big to be big.
I may not be able to write a 24 volume poem, but I do offer this 5-7-5 Haiku.
“That new car smell is
what Claire wants for her birthday.
Always chase big dreams.”
Many thanks to my 8th grade English teacher, Miss Herrema, for introducing me to the beauty of Japanese Haiku! There are a couple of teachers who still have an influence my life.
I’ll bet Shar is that kind of teacher. That story she told at Jer’s funeral about the Cheerios in her bed makes me think she’s a 9 to 5 person: “in bed by 9 so she’s up by 5” kind of person. And our chat from 2017 about Chris Hillman also makes me think she’s that kind of teacher. When everyone else in west Michigan was thinking, “Good, that sob deserves to rot in prison”, Shar saw a different person because she took an interest in a different kid.
Good thing God gives us teachers who see good in a person when others turn cynical.
Interestingly, perhaps a metaphor for the message of Easter. God doesn’t define us by the worst thing we’ve ever done. And He blesses us for the little things we do to His honor and service.
I did come across some research that says maybe Homer was blind. If that’s the case, that may be why he wrote a poem about an Odyssey instead of driving one..