Ogden Nash’s doggerel delighted a generation of schoolboys in the middle of the 20th century who were delighted to discover that a subversive version of poetry existed. It was not revolutionary in any political or social way, but his poetry was decidedly non-literary, breaking rules in a silly and unapologetic way. For example, Nash wrote, “A funny bird is the pelican. His beak can hold more than his belly can.”
In Nash’s “Portrait of the Artist as a Prematurely Old Man,” he contrasts sins of omission with sins of commission and concludes that sins of commission are highly preferable. His logic is beyond dispute: Sins of commission “must at least be fun or else you wouldn’t be committing them.” On the other hand, “you never get any fun out of the things you haven’t done.” His theory is based upon the logic that both types of sins bring painful consequences, but only one gives you any fun in return. His examples are comically silly, but beyond the scope of this post. They do, however, apply to car care.
Applying Nash’s logic to your vehicle use, he would recommend driving at high speeds over neglecting to get your oil changed. Both might be expensive, but with speeding you can at least experience the thrill of the open road before you pay the expensive speeding ticket and inflated insurance premiums. Neglecting to get your oil changed, on the other hand, can have bitterly expensive consequences without offering you any fun in return.
Here at Cassels Garage, we cannot advocate violating traffic safety laws, but we can certainly affirm the value of getting your oil changed regularly. Regular oil changes will prolong the life of your engine, and the associated fluid checks that occur at the same time can help you avoid a host of unpleasant problems. Conversely, neglecting to get your oil changed at proper intervals can destroy your engine, and that is a very costly part to replace.
At Cassels Garage in West Melbourne, we are ready to help keep your cars in good working condition. We are a family-owned shop well equipped to provide routine maintenance or do major repairs on your car. We have been serving Brevard County since 1966.
