Tune-Up or Tune-Out

I’ve always said it. Relationships are like cars. How, you ask? Very simple, lemme break it down for ya! ;)

So you finally decide that it’s time you get a car. You save up, do the research and figure out what model you want. No detail is overlooked, from the color, to the engine size, the credibility of the brand and the overall smoothness of how it drives. So you take yourself to the shop and test-drive your ideal vehicle. Once you are pleased, you make the decision to commit in financing or leasing this automobile, or if your paper is stacked like that, you may even be able to purchase it on the spot.

The first few months, you do what you need to in taking care of this prized possession. You get your quarterly oil changes, maybe even detailed here and there and keep it spic and span clean. But as time goes on, you slowly get wrapped up in everyday life and now you are not maintaining the car as much as you once did. You take the trusty and trued car for granted in hopes that it will still carry you from point A to point B (even though you know you haven’t gotten an oil change in almost 2 yrs, never mind any types of annual maintenance). Soon this once beautiful car that meant so much to you, has devalued even quicker than you imagined until it’s just a heap of metal put-putting through life until the day it conks out on you.

Guess what? Same goes for your relationship. This isn’t just simplified to love-relationships. This goes for friendships and family as well. When you don’t cherish your relationship and make an effort to maintain it…it will fall apart. How many times have we seen lovers split because of claims that “He stopped doing what he used to do” and “ She doesn’t take care of herself like she used to”? How many times have we seen friendships fall apart because one person made more of an effort to reach out, while the other party involved couldn’t return a phone call? I call it a lack of caring in general. If we had the foresight to see that our car would give out on us smack dab on the middle of a highway in the freezing winter, most of us would have taken care of the issue right than and there. But nooooo….instead, we hope and pray that even though we have done absolutely nothing to assure the dependability of this vehicle, it will still take us to where we want to go with no issues.

Relationships with one another cannot exist happily this way. I’ve seen friends who have purchased a new car and got it taken away from them in the same year from being straight reckless. While some have had their auto for over 10 yrs and did the annual maintenance to ensure it would last a long time. Heck, some people even cry when they have to purchase a new one as their old car was valued so much to them.

All in all, people and items are completely two different things, but I’m sure that for those who put so much effort into shining and upgrading their latest ride, put the same love and care into the people that mean something to them, they would see there can be nothing but smooth cruising for the long road ahead.