Some things don’t require much choice.  The passenger automobile for example.  In spite of the variety of motor vehicles on the market, I have long ago narrowed the options to domestic vehicles (because historically those dealerships are the only ones in the rural area where I live). Accessibility is the key. The collateral benefit is that frequently the country people are easier to get to know, often living in the same small town or very nearby.  Convenience though is the paramount selling feature (especially if one is working for a living or raising a family and having limited spare time); though even for us old unemployed vagrants the facility to get to and from a dealership for repairs or routine maintenance is nothing to pooh-pooh. Besides we haven’t all the luxury or inclination to deal at arm’s length with the Rolls Royce dealership in Montréal!

This morning I met with my GM dealer at Reid Bros Motor Sales in Arnprior. She gave me the keys to a 2025 Cadillac Optiq (pronounced Optic as in lyric, not Optique as in teak). My particular enquiry was not so much the “ride” of the car; rather, I was keen to ensure that I could plug the charging cord into the vehicle then into the adjacent wall-mounted 240v outlet.  It worked. The lights flashed blue then green; and the dashboard reported that charging was underway.  I didn’t stick around for much more.  That satisfied me that I had at my disposal the required source of energy (“fuel”) for the new car. I will however have to wait until late summer to order the 2026 model.

Meanwhile I have been transitioning to another electric device; namely, an electric tricycle.  After having spoken with the sage Bill Barrie Jr. of Almonte Bicycle Works; and, speaking with several people from retail outlets in Ottawa, I have decided to visit Derand Motorsports (“Proudly Canadian. 100% Canadian owned and operated.”) Talk about choice! They carry every imaginable tricycle; and all made in Canada (most often Québec). Which reminds me. While I sat in the car this afternoon at the grocery store, I was subsequently advised by my partner that throughout the store are products labeled with black triangles with “T” in the centre, identifying imported goods impacted by tariffs.  This tariff war is increasingly broad and rapidly slipping into a school-yard bout which will undoubtedly adversely affect parties on both sides as prices rise and consumption and supplies diminish.

But returning to automobiles and tricycles, those objects now form my preferred passage to the future. It’s all about mobility; that is, getting there and enjoying the ride. Time is running out; and things have changed.  But not being able to do what one once did is no more an obstruction than we make it to be. There is no indignity propelling oneself in an electric car or on an electric trike.  For me it’s about motion howsoever achieved.  There may even be moderate exercise in the process; but no matter how the motion is characterized it unquestionably achieves the goal of amusement and pleasure – though perhaps  tainted by the vulgarity of material possessions.  But we’re not saving it for the funeral! Besides these insignificant objects enable unparalleled diversion and occupation albeit without the advantage of a crown or jewel. For me it is perfection. It is the alignment of two elemental appetites of humanity – need and desire. And all without the guilt we may once have endured.  That has to be acknowledged a good thing!