"If I Knew Then, What I Know Now..."

   I remember playing a tune by the Ray Coniff
Singers back in my DJ days called "If I Knew
Then."
   It came to mind this week while waiting for
a doctor's appointment scheduled for 9:50am.
   I was also wondering why I had scheduled
an appointment for such a specific yet unusual
time!
   Anyway...the title and melody of the song
came back to me while I was reading to pass
the time until the doctor actually saw me since
that was no where near 9:50!
   I passed up all the magazines scattered on
tables around the waiting room. Most of them
seemed to deal with health issues or fashions,
child rearing, or cooking. The only part of any
of them that fascinates me is the little corner of
the cover where someone has torn or cut away
the little address label.That always has me
wondering where they were originally sent.
   I started to glance at the classified section
of the newspaper and that's when the song came
to mind!
   I found, in the automobile section, an add for
a 1956 two tone Ford Convertible! The first
car I ever owned was a 1956 two tone Ford
convertible and,  except for the fact that this
was red and white instead of black and white,
the two cars were nearly identical!
   What memories! How proud I was to have a
car of my own. That was true even after I saw
the thick clouds of white smoke pouring out of
the exhaust pipe! Seems there was some kind of
problem with the oil system that year. But a
kit was available and the problem was easily fixed.
    I  had the car for several years before the
floor on the passenger's side rusted through and
I developed a love for 'Sports cars.'
    After reading the classified add, however, I
wondered if it might have been wiser to fix the
floor and keep the car polished.
    You see I bought the Ford, used, for $750.
    The one for sale in the paper is a lot more
'used' than mine was and it's owner is asking
$44,900!
    (Insert music and lyrics here.."If I Knew
Then, What I Know Now,")
     This is an example of why men don't like
to throw things out!
     How many mothers have tossed away piles
of old baseball cards never thinking about the
fact than one prize 'Mickey Mantle card' might
be buried in the mix!
    Some of those cards, which have sold for as
high as $72,000, were probably used by kids
in the spokes of their bicycles to make them
sound like motorcycles!
    Maybe there is a Mantle card hidden
somewhere inside the 56 Ford! That would
explain the price!
     If you should buy it please stop by so I
can check the passenger side floor and see
if there's any smoke coming from the exhaust!
    Hope you're holding on to your
'valuables'...and that all your NEWS is good!