"You think you hate it now . . ."

"But wait 'til you drive it."

Of course, that’s the backhanded phrase from the car salesman (Eugene Levy) to Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) in the 80’s classic comedy movie, “National Lampoon’s Vacation.”

It occurs during an exchange where Clark is being hoodwinked into accepting the New Wagon Queen Family Truckster Wagon in Metallic Pea, in lieu of the Antarctica Blue Super Sports Wagon with CB and Optional Rallye Funpack that he had originally ordered. Clark is reassured by the shifty car salesman that if he’s thinking of taking the tribe cross country he’d better off with the Family Truckster, “You think you hate it now, but wait ‘til you drive it.”

And although the scene is hilarious, an ominous message is buried in this dialogue - one that rings true in our daily life. It serves as a poignant reminder that when something appears on the surface as substandard and/or problematic at the beginning, chances are that it won’t get any better, and will probably get worse.

The irony is that most of us are optimists. We want things to work out well, and we hope for the best. And frankly, sometimes we get lucky and it does. However, when the circumstances are really important, and the stakes are highest, leaving the outcome to pure chance is extremely risky.

In critical times our radar and “senses” need to be heightened. It takes a keen combination of objectivity and unbiasedness, mixed with a balance of wisdom and experience, to truly ferret out the reality of the situation. Additionally, if we can then apply a hefty dose of good old common sense to that, we’ll usually come to the right conclusion. Of course, whether we choose to act it or not is another thing.

As for the movie, Clark Griswold did end up with the Family Truckster, and us with a movie-full of laughs and one-liners. Of course, had it been real life and not a comedy, he might have been better off consulting the car ratings from Consumer Reports.