In October of 2001, I was living at home with my parents and driving my little car (The Gold Nugget) back and forth to work. It got to the point where parts literally started falling off of the car. First the water pump blew and then one day the muffler fell off on Rt. 28. I drove it all the way home with motorists pulling up alongside me and pantomiming "explosion" and "fire" and "pull over you crazy lady", as the broken muffler dragged and sparked on the road.
It was time for a new car.
One day at lunch, L-Train and Heather and I met Mark Messick - gold chains on his neck, slicked back hair, chest hair proudly showing through his buttoned down shirt...yeah. He was THE CAR DEALER. We had him show us used Hondas and that's where I found the Silver Bullet, a cool, silver Honda Civic DX (with some LX features). I knew I would have this car a long time, so I asked him if car seats would fit in the back seat. No, I was not dating anyone at the time! Mark DID offer to take us all out for a spin on his motorcycle...yeesh.
Heather said she would handle everything with the negotiation, and indeed she did. I was labeled her "silent partner" and simply let her do the wheeling and dealing. She got him down to a very reasonable price and then leaned forward on his desk and said, "Now, how about the trade-in?" He erupted, declaring that we didn't tell him about a trade-in, and that he wasn't sure and he'd have to talk to his manager, etc. Heather sat there cool as a cucumber with her arms folded, grimace on her face and shaking her head back and forth. In a moment the paperwork was slid across the table and I was faced with trading in my FIRST car.
Tears spontaneously welled up in my eyes, as it's metallic life flashed before my eyes. Memories of cross-country trips, taking me back and forth to work to my factory job in school, shuttling me to and from my long days student teaching, and the "rotten-bottle-of-ketchup-in-the-back-seat" debacle that taught me valuable lessons about what can and cannot be stored in ones trunk. I had a good little cry right there in Mark's office and then composed myself enough to sign away my car. I felt like a traitor. Like I was abandoning a faithful friend to a lonely life in a salvage yard.
Yesterday we came full-circle to another signing away. This one was much less emotional. We sold the Silver Bullet to the son of our Stake Young Men's President, who just returned home from his mission. He needed a good, reliable car, and we needed the money for some home repairs. We've also wanted to simplify with this move and be a one-car family for a while. I felt much better that the Bullet would be enjoying an exciting life of taking his new owner back and forth to school and work and probably dates and perhaps some fun road trips with his buddies. That made me happy that he was going to a good home, where he would be taken care of and appreciated.
Goodbye! (sniffle)Josh came into the house after they drove away and asked me if I was going to cry, or if I needed a moment. I laughed and told him, "No, it's just a car. I'm fine, " as I went into the garage to toss some diapers in the trash. While I was out there, my eyes again welled up with tears as the nuts and bolts of its life flashed before my eyes and I remembered all of the good times with that car.
Thanks for being a GREAT car, Silver Bullet. Thanks for being around while I was dating Josh. I remember leaning up against you as we talked after church about classical music and I loaned him a CD to enjoy. I used you for an excuse one Saturday when I took you to a CAR WASH (I know, I never used to wash you), and my heart jumped when I saw Josh there too - washing his Subaru. He showed me how to roll up the seatbelts after vacuuming you out. He still does that :) Thanks for being my "schoolteacher" car. You helped transport a lot of school stuff back and forth! Thanks for getting 35mpg and for keeping my two kids safe in the back seat, strapped in their car seats. Thanks for only running out of gas once, and even then stopping few yards from a gas station. Thanks for this great vacation memory. I'll always think of you when I hear the soundtrack to Little Women. Be good and have a great time!
Love, Amy
5 comments:
Oh Ames, I remember those days. I also remember riding in Nugget and being seriously worried about our safety.... and wasn't there something wrong with the radio too? only one station (in spanish)? a tape stuck in the tape deck?
It's so good to know that Bullet went to a happy home.
Yes, I think it was the radio. Remember how excited I was that the bullet had a CD player? It was like Christmas!
That was touching. Cars represent so much of our lives. That is the difficult thing to say good bye to. Yes, I get attached to my cars too (Stardust, Ruby, The Silver Beejungus, and now Sarah the Xtera). Apparently it is genetic, because at age 3, when we traded our Subaru in for the Silver Beejungus, Abbey cried and screamed for her car all the way home.
It is so hard to say goodbye. I'm the same way with my cars. A car is a big part of one's everyday life. It becomes like one of the family. Mine has just been to the doctor and had some major work done, so I'm letting her rest today.:)
Is it bad that this made me well up??!!! I'm way too emotional. Me and dad had a great road trip in it together across country ...()single tear.
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