I’m cursed. Well, to put it more plainly, my family line is cursed. How?

The Rowley line fancies automobiles. Whether it be old 1970s European cars to even 21st century “green” autos, the Rowley men love ‘em. However, the Lord above loves to keep our priorities in the right order by keeping that desire “in check” by causing problems under the hood, thus holes in our pocketbooks.

Thankfully, my wife has quickly weaned me off of my tendency to idolize mechanical marvels by assuming the economic decision maker role with all things auto. It’s been a blessing to me and allowed me to see our purchases (more like expenses) from a practical standpoint and not a status icon. Still, we have the curse - what I like to call the Rowley curse. 

I can tell you story after story of automobiles gone wrong. It’s sad to think that statistically, we’ve owned 9 cars in the 9 years we’ve been married. Not a good statistic for us. It’s not on purpose (at least that I know of). So often, the repair bills exceed the worth of the auto, consequently I end up selling the car for parts or trading it on the next cursed vehicle.

This week’s example: I’m the owner of a 1993 Mercedes 190E and a 2009 Dodge Caravan. In the last 3 weeks alone, I’ve spent $2980 in repair bills on both vehicles. Then, this morning, the A/C compressor goes out on the van while my wife is on her way in. When it rains, it pours!

If there is such a thing as a curse (God-inspired, of course), then I know I have one. In fact, my whole family has it. They all have the same experience and story. Thankfully, this curse keeps my materialistic idol-factory producing heart in check, so I can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that God has placed this thorn in my life for a reason - to keep my heart on him and not these earthly treasures. Praise God, it seems to be working. 

I have a love affair with Coca-Cola. Not only do I tend to gravitate towards brands that are iconic and have their own culture. However, there is an exception to that rule, and that’s Mountain Dew. Now, if Coca-Cola were to push Mello Yello and really attempt to take out Pepsi’s last good product, I’d jump on the bandwagon. Unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be an emphasis by Coke to that any time soon. It’s almost like Coke has given Pepsi a mercy product.

Side conversation: I hate that I need Mountain Dew to get the creative gears going, but the side effects I experience are a small shake in my hands. It’s pretty annoying when you are trying to sketch something with shaky hands.