When doing the right thing hurts

So, another thing happened at the end of last year.

After watching Spiderman with the fam, my older son drove home. And quite uncharacteristically, he drove really close to a park car, and hit the side mirror.
We stopped by the side, and I got out to check. From 5 meters away, it didn't look so bad, the side mirror and bent outwards (which they are designed to do), and I quickly ran back, saying only minor damage - and we drove off.

And my conscience weighed heavily on me, in the drive home which took 10min. If I kept quiet, no one would really know, and I think we would have "gotten away" scot free. But I also remembered someone backing into my wife's car whilst at Eastwood a year back, and drove off - that was very annoying, and expensive to fix.

Loving your neighbor means that since I didn't appreciate that being done to me, I should not do that to others. Or rather, the loving thing to do is to own up. The owner may not know, but God knows. And I am setting an example for the family too - they'll know.

So dropping the family off, I drove back. Parked the car near there, walked casually to the damaged car - I saw bits and pieces on the floor (oh no), and basically the whole side mirror was wrecked. So I wrote a note, apologising for the accident, left my name and number, then left.

It was night time before the person texted me. She was really appreciative of me leaving a note, and thanked me (which I must say felt good, rather than being screamed at!). And even then, there was a nagging thought that said that "you should have just left!". Sin is funny that way, it finds ways to persuade you that doing the wrong thing is the norm, it's ok. But spirit of God continued to nudge my conscience.

Weeks go by, and no news (maybe she decided that the fix wasn't expensive and did it out of her own pocket?!!!). Well, last night, she finally texted me. She did say that people all around (including workshop folks) couldn't believe I owned up. The costs was $683, which I of course transferred.
I did try and milk it by sharing that it's only because I knew God was watching, and if I wasn't a Christian - I probably would have just drove off!

It's a small price to pay for my conscience and "holiness". Now the question is, should I get my son to pay all of it? some of it? He's really only going to clear his previous debt, and it is my conscience at play here. Maybe I'll take it off his "long term" savings which I've been holding for him (he doesn't remember it now), but it's feels wrong for him to pay for my conscience. Maybe 50:50 is the way to go.

So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin. 

James 4:17 ESV

Bug Tales

From eating bugs, I got myself a bug.


It's a 1973 VW beetle, 1200 cc, in all its green glory.


There's something about owning one, something I've never felt with all my previous cars, starting with a 18 yr old Mitsubishi (can't remember what, but it was bit of a bomb), a brand new maroon Suzuki Swift which my dad bought for me after graduation, Toyota Kijang in Indonesia, Hyundai Matrix when we came back to Singapore in 2003, Toyota Wish (which is the best family car in the world, and used by my wife), and now my very own bug.

It's quite an experience driving it. Like a newfound love, there's a bit of tenderness required in driving it. One must really be one with the car, have a good feel in all its mechanical glory.
There's nothing "auto" about it: stick shift manual gears; no power steering, no reverse sensors, no power windows; no car alarms; even the headlight switch is activated with a mechanical knob - but it is pure driving joy in its most basic raw form.

I actually got some metal sand paper, and scrubbed off the rust on the hub caps & WD40 everything. In my 15 years of driving, I have never ever even washed my car, let alone do any maintenance. The closest I get, is drive to the mechanic.

Now, it is probably one of the cheapest cars to get... but what a car it is.
Thanks Cami (who sold me the car) for this.

Pic of my car below