From Where I Sit

From where I sit
I see a coffee machine, 
a water cooler, 
and “The Today Show”
playing on a flat screen TV.
Just an early Wednesday morning
at the car dealership,
waiting for a routine inspection.
There are eight comfy black chairs, too.
I sit in one, quietly reading my book.
Noah, a nice young man,
who works customer service,
comes by frequently,
giving me updates on the progress of my vehicle.
Good news, bad news.
A bit more good news, 
offset a bit more bad news, 
and then some more good news.
I text my husband the details
and go back to my book.
Not much else I can do.
The chairs fill up,
mostly with old people.
They come and go before I do.
Some sit quietly,
some doze in those comfortable chairs,
and some engage in conversation
louder than it should be
in a place where others are 
trying to read or watch the TV.
I toss that up to being old people.
Who else has the free time 
on a Wednesday morning
to sit in a car dealership for hours?
I can say that because I'm one of them.
I stick my nose back into my book,
glad that I'm involved in the story enough
that the other old folks aren't too much of a distraction.
Three and a half hours later,
I'm having a nice chat with young Noah
as I pull out my credit card to pay the bill.
It could've been worse.
The car is set for another year.
The necessary repair was costly,
but it was less than originally expected,
and it's a sunny day for the drive home.
From where I sit,
things are looking pretty good.
I tune my car radio to my favorite station,
and sing along with the oldies.

~Elise Skidmore ©2025