Two of my long-time customers drove up from Cary, NC this past Saturday to buy a couple of Windsor Chairs. Its 5 hours away, and I'm sure they could have acquired them a lot closer to their home, but he and his wife are both late-stage cancer survivors, as am I. You get a little bonding thing going once you're in this 'Club' (and we don't wish membership on anyone), and we talked on the phone many times when we were smack in the middle of it all. Always good to see them, we talk of both furniture and cancer (He: Prostrate, Her: Colon, Me: Carcinoid). I appreciate them taking the whole day to come all that distance and its always good to see them.

We go out to the parking lot and she has a new BMW that we load the chairs into. "VERY NICE!!" I remark and it is! All black and sharp-looking. The he offers that he has one as well - another shiny new BMW but his is in dark grey. They decided to get them after their ordeal with cancer, as a treat to themselves. They decided they were not going to wait any longer as life really can be shorter than planned. Then he says "You're a car guy, what are you driving these days?" I pointed across the lot to my equally as-shiny new white Boxster and remarked that I had treated myself as well.

All three of us had a hearty laugh in the parking lot, us "Club" members. I guess we're all pretty predictable when you come out on the other side of the battle, its time to celebrate a little, and you realize that you can't always wait to get the things you'd like to have. Like the Nike ad says "Just Do It". It's not even rational to go out and buy new luxury cars after doing the cancer thing....but it sure is fun.