what you need is...

Every day I carry a little creature with me. It sits near my right ear, perhaps perched on the intertragal notch (that little divot at the bottom of the external ear), where it has easy access to my brain via the ear canal. Throughout the day, it whispers only a few words, over and over. “You need this. You need that. You need, need, need.” It is a persuasive little beast. I own a 2014 Toyota Tacoma 4x4. It is paid off, has nearly 141,000 miles on it, and is beginning to age. The paint has been baked and faded by the Arizona sun, small dents and scratches testify to my willingness to drive it places it probably should not go, the air conditioning never seems as cold as it should be, and the radio intermittently turns off and back on. The antenna broke off long ago and has never been repaired. The miscreant in my ear tells me, “You need a new truck.” Something shiny, with leather seats, and a bit larger to fit my 6’4” frame. A truck with a fancy audio system and seats that cool. “Yep,…