That New Car Smell

One of my friends has a black Infiniti. I am not going to lie. I have been envious over that car. Though I am not exactly a "car person," it fulfills all of my "basic requirements" for a car; it is extremely nice to drive and has a great sound system, and I love loud music in the car!

Somehow, in my mind, the car became intertwined with my friend's identity; intelligent, confident, and perhaps a bit arrogant, if it must be admitted.

And then my friend got sick. He had a breakdown, of sorts. For several days, things looked pretty hard, as far as future prognosis was concerned. He spent several days in the hospital.

One of the things he insisted on was that we drove the Infiniti to the hospital the first day we visited him.

I remember sitting in the car, inhaling that "New Car Smell" air freshener tree scent and wondering if my old friend would ever be back, would ever drive with the same confidence again...I cried with his mother and sister and we all missed him.

I forgot how illness works. Unless you fall or have some sudden accident, illnesses and hospital visits are usually slow in coming. For example, most people have a gradual build-up of plaque in their heart before a heart attack, or a gradual downward descent into a depressive illness before a visit for mental health.

But here is the catch; once you get out of the hospital you are not all better. I have had numerous surgeries and hospital stays and should know this. But for some reason I thought it would be different this time. My friend would waltz out, smile, and resume the witty banter he was known for.

Only he didn't. He emerged resembling portions of his former self, but is/was different in so many ways. It is almost like getting to know a new person.

Today we rode together in the Infiniti. We listened to loud music and I sang. And I realized that getting to know "new people" can be a good thing.