I buy my cars. I leased once when my ex told me to, but alas, when the two years were up and I was 20,000 miles over the mileage limit (do not even ask me about it) and sixteen dings over the ‘return in perfect used condition limit,’ I realized I need to buy my cars. That said, I don’t keep them long. Maybe two years at the most.
I was at a dinner the other night and this man was talking about his fabulous car growing up. He spoke of it as if it were part of the family history, actually part of the family itself. Then I saw this video about this older woman who was still driving a car she bought in the sixties. She had pictures of herself in front of her car each year as she had a birthday party for it. She loved her car and had every dime she put in it recorded. And, she had a manual she would give to people servicing it about how to change the oil and various other things.
Cars used to be such a huge expense and part of the daily life for years and years, so we remember them. But now, with leasing and turning cars in after a year or two for a new one, we now don’t have the same connection.
I am going to make a concerted effort to care about my new car. I turned in my big Audi SUV because it was so large that it kept hitting things. As I’ve mentioned, living in LA where you have to stop in strip malls all the time means there are tons of poles sticking up just waiting to be backed into. And, my underground garage poles move (I swear) to make sure I nick them on my way in and out of the space. So, now I have a small BMW SUV, which is cuter than a button, and has only backed itself into two things in the four months I’ve had it. A far cry better than the Audi.
I’m going to name my car soon. Thinking something special like Ruth. Or maybe, Emma. I have to marinate in it and make sure it’s a name that will stick. I’m going to start tracking my care of her. I’m going to pat her hello in the morning, and I’m going to make a commitment here and now to keep her for at least ten years. She and I are going to grow old together like that woman in the video.
Yep, it’s the new car me. A relationship with my car like in the old days with my Cougar XR7 that I wrote about on this blog sometime over the past year. I think it’s going to really change things for me with my car karma. Will keep you posted.