If only there were a real-life version of the check-engine light

Someone recently stole the catalytic converter from my 2005 Toyota Prius, an act of thievery that caused me to pay more than the Kelley Blue Book value of the car for a new part.

The first sign that I had been victimized was when my check-engine light came on. The second was when the Prius engine sounded like a dragster.

In this case, I didn't really need the check-engine light, but that light is pretty handy. For most of us, at least – even though it causes anxiety.

Sometimes the anxiety is the "I need to make sure my gas cap is on tight" way. Other times it's the "I need to get my car to the shop before it breaks down on Interstate 80 during a rainstorm" way. Other times it confirms that you're not paranoid, your car is running weird.

Anyway, the check-engine light generally helps. And while the I-work-on-my-own-car guys complain about it, that light is helpful to those of us who aren't handy with the wrench (in my case, "not handy" means "I don't know which end to hold.")

Which got me thinking . . . wouldn't it be useful if there was a check-life light? A light that goes on (maybe in our brain, where only we can see it  to remind us to check ourselves. Our attitude or words or decision-making. A check-life light.

For instance, wouldn't it be handy if you were sharing a frank opinion about a co-worker and your check-life light came on to inform you that the person was standing behind you or that you were talking with their best friend?

That would be helpful.

Wouldn't it be handy to have a check-life light that would alert you that the two-day-old fish you were heating in the microwave had gone bad?

That would be helpful.

How about a check-life light that reminded you to stop and consider the repercussions before you answer when your girlfriend or wife (or husband or boyfriend) asks you how the dinner tastes or how the new outfit looks?

That would be helpful.

How about a check-life light to remind you that it's been 20 years since you last bungee-jumped and this one might not turn out so well?

That would be helpful.

Or a check-life light to remind you that the police had been watching for speeders the past few times you drove through a neighborhood.

It would also be handy to have a check-life light to give you a heads up that you're choosing the wrong time to demand a raise . . . or that it's a mistake to accept something less than you deserve. A check-life light to assist in negotiations for a job or a car or a home, letting you know when you overstep your bounds or fail to recognize that the person with whom you're negotiating is willing to keep talking.

That would be helpful.

Here's a really good one: It would be cool to have a check-life light to let me know that I could spend a few hundred dollars for a shield over the catalytic converter on my car, making it difficult for thieves to steal a part that costs thousands to replace.

That would be helpful. A check-life light like that would eliminate one incident that required a check-engine light.

Reach Brad Stanhope at bradstanhope@outlook.com.