Dad? The Marquis? (Pt.2)

(Continued from March 13, 2010) ...... Fast-forwarding five years from the year that I sold Marquis #1, our middle child was now 18-years-old. He was driving a 12-year-old Ford Taurus and he loved that car. He was always finding excuses to run errands for us, just so that he could drive “his” Taurus.

Well, the end of the line finally came for my son’s Taurus. So, we decided to give him our daughter’s 8-year-old Taurus and she would take over my Impala. I then went out and purchased a ….. YES, another Mercury Grand Marquis!!

When I arrived home with Mercury Grand Marquis #2, all three kids expressed disgust, disdain, and mortification for the car. They simply could not believe that I had actually purchased a second Marquis …… or at least that’s what they said.

To add a little humor and to live up to my reputation as a great teaser, I told my 18-year-old that he would be driving the Marquis and that I would take the Taurus. Needless to say, he expressed that he could not possibly drive the Marquis; his friends would make fun of him; and he would be cast aside by all acquaintances. He begged me to let him keep the Taurus. I reiterated that the Marquis was his to drive. He left the room in total disgust wondering aloud how he would ever be able to live this down with his buddies.

The next day, he came downstairs and asked me for the keys for the Marquis, as he needed to get to the store. I told him that I had been kidding and that I would be driving the Marquis. He would keep the Taurus.


I expected jubilation, happiness, and maybe even a hug. But, what did I get instead? My 18-year-old son told me that he WANTED the Marquis, because, after he thought it over, he realized that it really is a cool car! I reiterated that I had been kidding. He then reiterated that he was serious and that he truly wanted the Marquis.

I asked why he wanted the Marquis, since he had called it a GRANDPA CAR since age 11, if not before. He said that, since I had driven Marquis #1 for a long time, it must have been a great car and that the moniker of GRANDPA CAR certainly did not fit me. In essence, he said that he wanted to drive the car that his dad believed to be cool! He was willing to set his friends straight, as well! Ah yes, maturity was prevailing!

YES! Even though he viewed it as a GRANDPA CAR, he still wanted to drive it, as he realized that his dad believed that it was a good car.

Sometimes, even when you think that you have failed to convince your kids of something, you suddenly learn that you had convinced them long ago and that their resistance to your idea was simply to go with the crowd.

Yes, it’s nice to know that DAD’S opinion had won out over the friends’ opinions and impending jeers!

How about you? Have your kids refused to believe that you were correct on an issue, only to come back later and admit that you were right? If so, let me know!


Paul W. Reeves

Dad? The Marquis? (Pt.1)

Ah, there is something special about a Mercury Grand Marquis for me! I don’t know if it’s the feel, the easy access to controls, the comfortable ride, or the fact that my grandfather had a similar car when I was a little tyke. However, without question, the Mercury Grand Marquis is my favorite car to drive!

Even though I’ve had the pleasure to drive other terrific cars, such as a Ford Mustang (2), Honda Civic, Ford Aerostar, Ford Windstar, Chevy Venture, Ford Grand Torino, Mercury Villager, and a Chevy Impala, it always comes back to the Mercury Grand Marquis for me!

As for my kids’ impression of a Mercury Grand Marquis? The called it a GRANDPA CAR!! How could they denigrate my favorite car?

Back when our kids were 8, 11, and 14, I came home with the first Grand Marquis. My kids were appalled. They could not believe that their dad had suddenly become a driver of a GRANDPA CAR! As this issue had never been discussed in our home, I was surprised at their reaction. I just knew that a ride in dad’s new Marquis would convince them for life.

So, we piled in, I pointed out all of the advantages, including the extra room, the back seat emptying into the trunk, the cup holders, the great sound system, the comfort, etc. However, it was to no avail, as my kids were not convinced. In fact, they were even more convinced that their dad had instantly become an old guy!


While our daughter, age 14, eventually accepted the fact that dad really liked the car, our sons, ages 8 and 11, actually verbally requested that I bring another car when I needed to pick them up from an event. They actually feared that their friends would make fun of me (and them!) for driving a GRANDPA CAR!

Well, to say the least, I thoroughly enjoyed driving that car for all of the aforementioned reasons. Eventually, however, the miles began to rack up and I decided to sell it for a new Impala. As I was driving away with the Marquis for the final time, my kids must have sensed something, or perhaps they were feeling some guilt, but they offered to take some pictures with me in the car. They also took turns getting in the car for the final time to have some pictures taken of them!

For the next few years I drove that Impala every single day to work, church, errands, etc. It also became the main car by which I escorted my kids to and from events. They seemed to love that car and they agreed that the car more closely fit my personality and image (oh my children, how could you not understand the connection between Marquis and Me?!?!?).

(Come back next Saturday for the conclusion and learn how dad's opinions won out over the opinions of friends!).


Paul W. Reeves