Opinion
Failing vehicle is hard to give up
March 23, 2007
This week, I forced myself to face truth about my life. My days of driving my busted, yet beloved Ford Escort are nearing an end.
Honestly, I have no idea why the prospect of getting a newer, more reliable car is bothering me so much considering I have put more money into my car than it would ever be worth.
Perhaps my unending fondness for that little car is because it has been with me since my days behind the wheel began.
We have a history, this car and I. I learned to drive in it, got in two minor accidents, was backed into twice and most successfully, evaded nine tickets for speeding, failure to stop and most recently, for not having my new tabs on until six months after I got them.
How can I let all of this go? I don’t think any other vehicle could compare to the legacy of my faithful white bullet - a nickname my car received because of all the times I skipped high school my senior year and was never caught.
These incidences are not the only aspect of the love I hold for my 1998 Escort. Before it started suffering from constant breakdown, it was a really good vehicle. I get excellent gas mileage, it accelerates very quickly and the turning radius is second to none.
However many fabulous features and memories I can list off, I can’t li: every time I am sitting idle at an intersection, the Escort makes so much noise and commotion that I start to sing the wise words of Wilson Phillips in their song “Hold On,” hoping the vehicle will respond by pulling through just one more day.
While this method has worked so far, the writing is on the wall and its days are numbered.
I wish I could have the attitude of my fiancé , who drove a beat-down Ford Taurus for way too long. After his radiator went out, it was his last straw.
He traded it in, actually receiving money for his old vehicle, and never looked back. In a poignant moment as we drove off the lot in his new ride, he took one last look and said goodbye in his own way — “Good fucking riddance!” Why is the thought of that so hard for me?
I guess I simply love my little car too much, for it was one instance of stability in my life as the rest of my world is consumed with graduating, finding a job and a residence as well as getting married.
For anyone else who is going through change as I am, do not worry if you get a bit nervous or cling to something familiar. And obviously, I should listen to my own advice and relax. Everything will be fine. Change is a good thing even though it can be scary at times.
Although life can change at a rapid pace, it is important to remember that change seems to be a constant.
School will come and go, careers will start and go down different paths, new marriages will begin as others die and cars will break that one last time, needing to be replaced. For me, I will always have the memories of my white bullet and every time I hear Blu Cantrell’s “Hit Em Up Style,” I will be transported back to the first summer I had that car when it ran like a charm.