The One That Got Away… and the One That Stayed

The Car That Got Away (and the One That Didn’t)

I wasn’t even really looking. Not seriously, anyway. I was just… browsing, I guess. You know how it goes—Saturday morning, coffee in hand, the sun warming up the driveway. Open the laptop, type in a few half-hearted search terms, and bam, there it was. A ’13 Tacoma. Not perfect, not new, but man—it had character.

It was on Destin Motors‘ website, and something about the way the photo was taken—like it hadn’t been staged—caught me off guard. It felt honest. Real. Like the guy behind the camera actually gave a damn about the truck and wasn’t just trying to flip it fast. You can feel that kind of stuff, can’t you? Or maybe that’s just me getting older.

Anyway, long story short, I waited. Waited too long. The truck sold. Just like that. One minute it’s there, and the next—poof. Gone. And it messed with me more than it should’ve. Like I’d missed some small chance at something good. I ended up driving out to Destin anyway, not really expecting much.

But here’s the thing—I didn’t get the truck I thought I wanted, but I did meet Mike at the lot. Regular guy. No pressure, no scripts. We talked about fishing for ten minutes before cars even came up. I told him about the Tacoma. He shrugged and said, “You’re not the first guy who hesitated.” That stung a little. But then he added, “Sometimes you lose one to make room for the one that’s actually meant for you.”

He showed me a ’14 Frontier—clean, dependable, a little rough around the edges, kinda like me. I took it for a spin and knew by the time I pulled back into the lot that it was the one. Not flashy. But solid. Real. Felt right.

Now, every time I turn the key, I think about the Tacoma. Not in a regretful way, but more like… appreciation. It led me here. To this little dealership off Highway 98, run by people who still look you in the eye and remember your name. I don’t know if that’s rare or not, but it feels rare.

So yeah, this isn’t a review. It’s not a sales pitch either. It’s just a little story. One I thought I’d tell because sometimes, amidst the noise, it’s nice to hear something simple. Something true.

If you’re looking for a used car, sure—do your homework. But don’t overthink it. And if you find yourself anywhere near Destin, maybe stop by and say hi. Ask for Mike. Or don’t. Just wander the lot. You might be surprised by what finds you.

– A guy who waited too long… and then found something better.