Standard Equipment

Perhaps most commonly associated with automobiles, the term "standard equipment" usually identifies amenities that were once considered optional (e.g., luxuries), and which are now considered to be essential or expected components in a vehicle (i.e., factored into a value-added pricing structure, which is a nice way of saying "You're still paying for it, and it's no longer optional because it's included in the base price, so pffffft!").

Driving around recently, I contemplated what would qualify as standard equipment for my particular vehicle. Power steering. Air conditioning. Automatic transmission. Power locks and windows. Overdrive. Cruise Control. Anti-lock brakes. Owner's manual. CD player and radio. Airbags, concealed roll-bars, and crumple zones. (Heck, in the not-so-distant past, even safety belts were optional.)

But as I looked around the interior of my vehicle while waiting at a traffic light, I noticed a few things that were most assuredly not on the sticker when I bought the car, yet they have assumed a permanent place within it . . .

A box of Kleenex (should sneezies ensue)
An umbrella
Another umbrella (for passengers or pedestrians in need)
Cell phone charger
A scarf with matching hat and gloves (now that the weather has turned colder)
Another pair of gloves (for passengers with cold hands)
Sunglasses
A set of two-way radios
A first aid kit (replete with bee sting swabs)
A book of CD's (my radio is a wasted amenity)
A tire gauge
A half flat of bottled water
A small digital camera
A kite

Yes, a kite. The kite stays in the car for those rare days during which the planets align and I am faced with – simultaneously, miraculously – a few minutes of uncommitted time, a steady breeze, and a lonely green space in need of some personal attention. Temperature is not a factor when it comes to the kite. Simply put, if the first three conditions are met, I can't be deterred and everything else will need to wait. And frankly, every time I see the kite in the back seat, I succumb to a moment of hope that the planets will align that day.

I have other standard equipment in my life, in addition to what resides in my car. Things that I would sorely miss if they weren't around, but that again, probably weren't included on the original sticker:

Family
The Inner Circle
The three beasties
Books
Music
Art
Education

As with any value-added item, such relationships and material things require an investment on the front end – of time, money, love, and sometimes all three – as well as regular maintenance throughout our lives in order to keep things in good working order in the absence of a warranty.

When it's finally time to upgrade my vehicle, since I am confident that there isn't a car manufacturer in existence that can incorporate the latter list into its value-added pricing structure, I've decided to buy the first car on the market that includes a kite as standard equipment.

P. S. Put me on the waiting list, please.