Little Joys

I get my car back today! No more driving the soccer mom mobile that is my mom's Volvo Station wagon.

I love my car.

Its so non-descript. Its not flashy or new or eye catching, but its mine and it was the first purchase I had ever made that could be described as "adult." After three months of enduring the hour long bus ride to work, I had sufficiently saved enough to think about maybe purchasing a car. The bus wasn't that bad, but an hour commute is an hour commute, and the clientele could be somewhat shady. I did have a nice bus driver who one morning when I had switched to the bus stop a little further down the road exclaimed, "There you are! I was worried." That did warm the heart some. I felt almost guitly leaving the bus route.

Almost.

My boss at the time knew I was looking and knew of a woman from her church who was looking to get a new car and get rid of her old one. How much more trust worthy can you get. The woman was a church pianist!

Within four days I had insurance, a loan and finally a car. I didn't even have a chance to check out the car, even catch a glimpse of it, before I signed the papers. The car was mine. If someone didn't lead me to it I wouldn't have know which one it was. For some reason that didn't strike me as odd. That was how I lived in those days, as did my roommates: unsuitable men, $50 to our names before pay-day, riotous fights with each other, chugging boxed wine and dieting until our bodies begged for red meat.

I look back on myself in awe and disbelief. I'm amazed at our survival tactics, like we were playing at being grown up, but in a very real setting, three thousand miles from anything comforting and familiar. We all made it though. I don't talk to one of my roommates any more and the other is in Texas with her husband, I miss her. I feel we accomplished a very big part of growing up together.

The day my car payment booklet came and I remember flipping through it with a bit of despair. "September 2006." I thought, "I'll be paying this off forever!"

Time sure does fly!

We made it through a lot too, my little car and I. A trip up the Pacific Coast and then across country with the Driving Nazi (my ex, C. We almost left him in Des Moines.), our share of dings and accidents and way too many calls to AAA. Its a good little car, I got so much more than my money's worth.