The Gold Mercedes

This summer I was on my way to yoga when I walked by this car. Instantly I thought, “Wow, how GARISH! I have to take a picture of this and post it on Instagram!” I was standing next to a person who was also laughing and taking a picture of this car. Across the street someone else was taking a picture, laughing. 

And those walking by that didn’t take a picture, either laughed or shook their head. One thing was for sure: We ALL agreed that this car was RIDICULOUS. And it felt great to all have something to come together about – mainly that whomever owned this car was a “tool” of some sort.
I posted my picture to Instagram, and then texted the picture to my friend who had bought a new car a few days earlier, and told him it was too bad he already got a new car, because he should have purchased the Gold Mercedes instead. He replied first with a snicker, and then asked, “What if a guy looking like me got into it, what would you think? Any judgments?” It’s one of those annoying questions because:

1. Not only does it point out how judgmental I had already been of the owner, whom I know NOTHING about, and I had also made a lot of assumptions about him (daddy issues, hidden low self-esteem…sheeeesh. I sometimes shock myself with how quickly I can go unconscious and totally egomaniac).
2. Now I also had to leave the comfort of judging someone with everyone else in the street, and actually take a look inside why I found this car so offensive that I felt it gave me the right to ridicule it’s mere existence.

The thing is, it’s so safe (and boring) to point out other’s flaws (I guess part of me thinks indulgence is a flaw). If I can focus on that, I don’t have to look at myself and my self-perceived flaws. This is not rocket-science or new science. Most of us know this. And yet, it’s so easy to default to that mode. It reminds me of this tall tale. After reading it, I played around with pretending that everyone I saw was the highly popular pastor. Because the truth is I have no idea who anyone is, including the owner of the Gold Benz. Maybe the owner was the kindest woman on earth, who allows herself this one luxury. Maybe it was a jerk. No matter who it was, it was a perfect trigger allowing by-standers to look in the mirror (or the hood) and take a look at what we saw: people judging people.
PS: The irony that I was on my way to yoga is not lost on me