15.12.2022

How the Grinch stole a car-sharing car at Christmas

'Inside a snowflake, like the one on your sleeve
there happened a story you must see to believe.
Way up in the mountains, in the high range of Pontoos,
lay the small town of Whoville: The home of the Whos.'

Just like any other highly-sensitive introvert living high up in their humble abode with the company of a slightly disturbed canine or feline, the Grinch would avoid, nay, despise social interactions of any kind. High amounts of noise, blinking lights, and chatter from people rushing through the streets would usually put him in a cranky mood, often painting him as a miserable misanthrope. It only makes sense that as such a gentle creature his system would become most overwhelmed during the, ironically, busiest holiday of the year – Christmas.

While staying clear from Grinch’s fortress of solitude for most of the year, as the holiday of peace of quiet would near, the Whos would lose their sense of boundaries and approach his safe home with loud instruments and off-key carolling. Fearing the situation would repeat this year, the Grinch started plotting an escape from this challenging tradition. He plotted and plotted and he finally thought: This year I’ll run away… and they’ll get me… not.

As a creature that does not condone animal cruelty, the Grinch rejected the idea of a beast-drawn carriage. (This is true, don’t believe everything you see in the movies). How else could he possibly travel though? The trains, buses and planes are full of cheerful urbanites making their way home for some Hotel Mom time. He looked down from his mountain and noticed several carriages in beautifully matching shades of white, grey and black that had one thing in common: a strange V-shaped mark above the rear tire. What’s this?

The Grinch quickly pulls out his smartphone (yeah, we went there) and puts in the two words that he sees on the vehicles into the search bar: “share now”. Share now? No way! I will not share anything with anyone! He exclaimed in a sheer attempt at exerting control over his life. I’ll take a car and it will be mine only! Under the cloak of night, he then sneaks into the village, finds himself a Fiat 500 - he would take the electric version but apparently, you can’t hotwire electric cars plus the charging infrastructure in Whoville and the wider area is not yet that advanced - works his magic with the wires (as we know from the TV and never doubt that it’s that easy), and rides off with the classic tire screeching noise.

The Grinch drove all night in the search of a secluded sacred space to protect himself from the exhausting Whos, with heavy metal blasting from the radio and his loyal furry friend Max sitting on the passenger seat, ignoring the fact that SHARE NOW only allows pets to be transported in boxes but Grinch is punk so he doesn’t care. Suddenly, the traffic announcement interrupted the heavy tunes and, once finished, a familiar jingle bell rang from the speakers to deliver Darlene’s Love message: Nobody ought to be alone on Christmas.

Resisting at first, moving his hand towards the off-switch, he froze as he noticed something. As he started mouthing the lyrics, shades of rose and lilac morning light slowly painted over the snowy winter wonderland. His eyes now glistening with tears, he started belting the chorus and finally understood his terrible error:
Maybe a car shouldn’t only serve one person,
maybe it really should be shared by everyone!

Grappled by the sudden epiphany, the Grinch then makes a horribly dangerous U-turn on a frozen road that only he can pull off and heads back to the village. He takes a couple of hitchhikers along the way whose bus got stuck in the snow and they are now stranded on the side of the road walking home to Whoville to see their families. In this case, a couple literally means only two as the Fiat 500 is a very comfy cosy 4-seater. As a sign of their gratitude, the semi-frozen travellers invite him for the holiday feast and even let him, the Grinch, carve the roast beast.

While we understand that the Grinch has some moral issues resulting in actions that should perhaps not be repeated, there is a takeaway worth keeping in mind: Christmas, despite its well-known brand as the holiday of peace, may end up being a rather taxing season, not only for introverts and highly sensitive people. We all need our rest. And just as you are told on an aeroplane, you put your oxygen mask first and then take care of everyone else. So especially during the holidays, but really, any other time, be mindful of your well-being and if you notice you start feeling overwhelmed, take action. Whether it’s going for a walk, taking a couple of deep breaths, reading a book, grabbing a coffee, or going for a ride in a SHARE NOW car :) or engage in any kind of play, whether alone or with creatures who have a beneficial impact on your well-being, whether it’s family, friends, or puppies. SHARE NOW would like to wish you a merry and peaceful Christmas.