Car Story

If love it never having to say you’re sorry then I needn’t have apologized to my beloved car when I saw it being towed off to live in charity heaven, otherwise known as Cars 4 a Cause. As I turned to walk back to the apartment, tears welled up and I knew I just had a minute or two to get back inside before I started to sob - which I did immediately when I walked in the front door. You would have thought a family member had died. Well, in a manner of speaking it did, or at least the clutch to my car. I couldn’t get it in gear so I had to accept it was time – time to let go. I’ve had this car for more than half the years I’ve been alive. It was a love/hate relationship. The air-conditioning hadn’t worked in years nor had the stereo. But for what my car lacked, it made up for itself in the intimate knowledge I had of its inner workings. I knew the sound it made when it needed more oil. It trembled at stops and I knew how to adjust the steering wheel to ease its suffering. For the most part it was a happy car that got me to where I needed to go… Well sort of. I didn’t make many far distance trips in its later years.

The thought of someone else driving my car was too much to bear. And despite its age, I still got offers from people to buy it. But I couldn't handle seeing someone else driving around town in my car. Most likely out of some guilt that I didn’t fix my car to the extent it needed for it to be truly comfortable. But I only fixed it to the extent that it needed to in order for me to drive it because on some level I wanted a new car. Truth is, I didn't really know how to break up with my car so I waited for the next time it broke down.

So now I have a new car, a Honda civic hybrid – the car I’ve been dreaming about for the last 6 years. We’re still at that dating/getting to know you stage. I have to get used to this new fangled technology like power windows (what a concept – now I don't have to manually roll my windows up, I have to figure out another way to exercise my arm muscles) I still miss my old car a bit but knowing the sale of my car will go to support Arts & Music education makes me happy, as does planning trips outside of LA county now that I get 40 plus miles to the gallon!