4: pay

I have reached that critical point where time is worth more than money.

I never really thought I would reach this point, given that I have basically spent my life doing work that pays nothing in exchange for feeling like my work is helping the world, but two nights ago yet another one of my headlights went out, and there you have it: I paid to have the new one installed.

Truth be told, I also thought maybe a professional should do it since they keep burning out - if you touch the bulb with the oil of your fingers, it burns out faster, and I've now replaced at least four bulbs in the three years I have owned this little car.

That, and the rain has started in earnest. I've changed the bulb before in the rain, but the thought of spending what remained of my Sunday afternoon standing in the rain trying to pry off the back of the headlight compartment on the driver's side of my car (the driver's side light on these cars is notoriously hard to change) just sounded awful. 

Regardless of my many excuses, the fact remains that I violated the cardinal rule of the Dutch immigrants to the United States: never pay to have done what you can do yourself. I don't regret it one bit.

I sat in my pleasantly dry car while the men at the oil change place six blocks from my house fought with the notoriously difficult cover of the driver's side headlight box, and it only cost me an extra $10 or $15, and it was glorious.