Honda Wants You To "Make The Choice" Between a FAMILY and a CAR

Have you seen these commercials?
Has it struck a nerve in you?
Did the message even get your attention?
Honda, the only foreign automobile company to have a sales increase
at the same time American auto makers were suffering double-digit losses
in a weak US economy and climbing fuel prices--
wants more of your money...and wants you to Make The Choice.
Their marketing campaign right now is directed at young couples
who are at the point in their relationship where growing their family
is the next big decision they're going to make--
and they're very blatantly playing into a juvenile-minded attitude of:
 "Wait. I wanted to go spelunking first. Make a robot. Buy a new car."
The audience they're targeting is the young guy
who just got off the sofa from playing video games--
and it makes the young woman seem too mature and out-of-touch with her spouse,
so much so
that his reaction is one of surprise,
as in a "Whoa! Don't go there yet, I'm not ready."

This commercial angers me.

Families are under attack.
The very idea of families is under attack.

Not only is the nature of what a family consists of--
a marriage between a man and a woman, under attack--
now, we've entered a realm where even including children is seen
as irresponsible or at the very least a less-desired pursuit.

I've been reading "Marriage and Family Relations"
that's put out by the Church,
and just read this by Spencer W. Kimball:

"I have told tens of thousands of young folks that when they marry they should not wait for children until they have finished their schooling and financial desires...They should live together normally and let the children come..."

I noticed that there is no mention of how many children one should have,
but that where possible, children should be welcomed.
Financial "desires" is not the same as financial stability--
but with preparation, sacrifice and prayer,
you can know if you're ready to start a family--
and it shouldn't be based on whether you have a new car,
or have had the opportunity or not, to go on luxurious vacations.
The most precious commodity for having a baby is TIME.
You definitely have to be willing to give a child all the time
you think you can--
and then double that.
Aww go ahead and triple it and you might come close.
It will be the sweetest way you can spend your time though,
I guarantee.

And yes, there are what finance guys call
"Opportunity Costs" to having a family--
but that's not the point I'm trying to make here--
Honda wants you to purposefully delay having a family
based on your selfish temporal desires...
as if bringing a child into this world will crush your every dream.
That makes me nauseas, it's so untrue.
Yes, if you're a selfish, self-absorbed wingnut
having a child is gonna "crunch your style"...
but seriously, if you want a life worthwhile,
getting kids in the mix
is as near to flat-out exuberance as you can get.
Even the greatest athletes, the most wealthy, the most brilliant minds in the world
have also been parents...
and they didn't wait to become well-known to have children.
Nope, they had kids along the way.
N' I don't know about you,
but that says something to me.

And what it says is the answer to Honda's
"Make The Choice" campaign--
The obvious choice is
not
a car, or spelunking, or building a stupid robot in your garage.
The obvious choice is
creating a family.

The moment a car leaves the lot,
it begins to depreciate...
cars are not investments.
That means whatever time, talents or means you use to buy
that brand new car off the lot
is not going to benefit you in the long run.

Which, again, makes the choice
in the
MAKE THE CHOICE campaign all that much easier to answer,
right?

*For more information on car depreciation, go here.

My Favorite Words about the importance of Family is
found in
The Family: A Proclamation to The World.