As I sat on the computer watching yet another video of a car or motorcycle, I began to remember that I had math homework.

The dreaded thought of having to go into my backpack, pull out my workbook, and spend the 15 minutes of my time to do it, seemed so horrible, that I chose to not do it.

This was a decision that I (unfortunately) would make often.  I was overcome with a laziness that not only prohibited me from doing my math homework, but would also inhibit my learning in the class during the day.  It was one of the worst decisions of my junior year, and I only realized this when my grade fell to a C.  It took that shock of a low grade to make me realize that I needed to change my attitude and take the class more seriously.

Just like my trig class, my fantastic ability to be stubborn about everything, found me in more trouble.  Late in 2011, I decided that having one classic VW was simply not enough.  I didn’t like the idea that I could only drive one car during the summer and would have to store it during the winter.  The idea arose that I would then buy another VW and use it as my everyday car in the summer as well as the winter.

On paper the plan was as solid as could be; old bugs get above 30 mpg, they seat four comfortably, they also were known for their simplicity to service and work on.  All of the people I talked to that had bugs when they were young would tell me how they were the best cars in the world and were extremely reliable.  To put it simply, I was sold.  I would scour the internet and magazines searching for the perfect second bug.  My parents also encouraged my search and promised to pitch in up to $500 towards my new beetle.

My judgment was so clouded by my desire for the car, that I didn’t seem to notice a few of the many flaws in my plan.  First of all, all of my birthday, Christmas, and work money added up to a sum of about $3800.  A Beetle in fair, drivable condition would fetch around $3200 to $4500.  This meant that I’d have to gamble on the car by either paying less and having to do a lot of work to the car myself, or by paying more initially and hoping that the car wouldn’t develop more problems later.  I also didn’t think about insuring the bug , which I later found out to cost over $2000 a year!  And finally, I neglected to realize that all of the praise that VW bugs were receiving from previous owners were pretty much invalid.  Just because a car was reliable 40 years ago, doesn’t mean that it would necessarily be reliable today.  This is something I found out.

I ended up buying a 1973 Super Beetle for $3600 in October of 2013.  I drove the car home from Springfield, Illinois, and I thought I had made a great purchase.  The car drove good and was super comfy on the 200+ Mile trip.  Unfortunately, immediately after I drove the car around town, I noticed its many problems, and after a few months of tinkering and buying new parts, I decided to sell the car in April of 2014.

After I spent all that money and time, I realized that I didn’t even need a car.  I was so stubborn in my desire for a bug, that I didn’t notice the obvious flaws in my plan.  The car is currently up for auction on Ebay with a current bid of $3350.  I may lose money, but I take it as a learning experience and a reminder not to be too headstrong.