How much of a say should the youngest members of a family have in a decision that affects them all? Or, put another way, After 42 years on the planet, is there such a thing as a "right to be a little selfish"?
I'm beginning the process of looking for my next car. The '02 Sable (107k miles) is going along fine, but (a) it won't for ever, and (b) Mary's van's loan is up in a few short months, and (c) if I want to get a convertible, winter could be a good time to make a deal when they're hardly flying off the lot.
I am thinking of getting a convertible. Mary and I have talked about replacing the Sable, and she's given me the go-ahead to find something really special this time. I've always liked Jaguars, but I'm not going for their $86,000 convertible. But the Volvo C70, the BMW 3-series convertibles, and the Lexus IS350C appeal to me on a number of levels. It would be a *nice* car, and it would be the drop-top I've been interested in getting.
Today I test-drove the Lexus, and here's the rub: Sarah does not want me to get a convertible. She didn't like the Mustang I rented for David's birthday weekend this summer, and if she had her druthers (and wherever did she put those druthers?) I would get another sedan about the same size (and backseat capacity) as the Sable. She doesn't like the wind in her hair, she doesn't like the small windows in the back seat, she doesn't like climbing in and out of the back seat of a two-door...plus just a general dislike of the whole concept of a convertible.
Practically every objection I can overcome logically, and in the end, she did say that if I absolutely have to have a convertible, well, it could be OK. Yet I can tell that's really not her preference--she would feel much more comfortable if I would just get the Jaguar XF and a sunroof.
So: How much say does a 9-year-old have in the kind of car I drive? Is it possible to speak of a "right" to choose my own car when I am, after all, responsible for an entire family?
Following Pieper, if it is possible to speak of a "right" to anything, like a right to be selfish and choose my own car, then there is necessarily a corresponding responsibility that accompanies the right. Just as we have the right to vote, we have the responsibility to vote intelligently after carefully considering the issues and the choices. So: if I have a right to choose my own car because it's what I want, what is the corresponding responsibility?
I've only just begun the process of looking for the next Dad-mobile. And yes, I do want to have something special, something fun, something I've wanted. Does that make me a bad person, if my own daughter would prefer another Sable?
