Sir William Schwenck Gilbert (1836 – 1911) of “Gilbert and Sullivan” fame is credited with the quote “It’s love that makes the world go round.” The sad truth is that except in operas, stage plays, and movies, it is money and not love that drives the world. Balancing romance against reality is a task that we all face. As a hopeless romantic, I first faced this not with another person, but with a car that I fell in love with after I saw it on the showroom floor. Fresh out of college and with a great job, I ended up overpaying for the sporty foreign vehicle. As you might have already suspected, it caused me nothing but problems especially after the warranty had expired. I should have looked under the hood, kicked the tires, studied the owner’s manual, and did some comparison shopping. I had much better luck when I met my “sporty foreign” wife after I had gotten rid of the sports car. Her accent drives me wild but when it comes to our money, there is no room for romance. This was quite evident when we had to replace our HVAC system after we had moved into a house where the former owners had neglected it. With her steely determination and without any romantic emotions, she managed to get a top-of-the-line HVAC system at a fair price and convinced the HVAC installer to repair the existing ductwork for free. She reviewed every line of the HVAC warranty and service agreement. I know she loves me because now I can watch movies like “The Notebook” with my box of tissues while she manages our family budget.
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