If it's broke... Wednesday, February 3, 2010

My poor car is dying. At ten years old, it's run perfectly all this time and now, in the space of four months, I am facing two big repairs (one was in October). I know this is what cars do, but I'm so worried -- I plan to buy a car a year after the wedding. Can't this car just run perfectly for sixteen more months?! Sixteen! It was doing fine, but at this rate, we'll finance a whole other car just repairing this one before the sixteen months are up. Hell, just give me five more months. We're paying for a wedding, here!

My car has been with me for so long, for a cross country move and many road trips; across thousands of miles and several states; has carried nearly everyone I love at some point; has carried me home from many a boyfriend's house after some tearful breakup. I tell it, "Just hang in there!" And I think the car is saying, "I'm doing the best I can."

I took that picture up there on a solo trip to Davis, Oklahoma in 2008. I found it to be beautiful there and pulled over for this scenic shot (click to enlarge). Of course, the car is probably fine for a few more years, at least, even if it needs repairs to keep going. I just love this car. Look how good it looks at eight years old! Practically brand new.

What is this post about my beloved Camry doing on my wedding blog? I don't know. For one, it's new for me that major problems are not just about me but also about my future husband. It's weird (and reassuring) that I need to depend on him to take me to work or give me a jump if I am stranded. And when we purchase a car -- when we purchase anything, from now on, it will be our decision. Our car.

I also think it's interesting to look at objects and see where you've been and where you're going. I bought my car when I was 21. I was finishing college and beginning a teaching career. My father died only a year earlier, and my mother and I had been by ourselves and made stronger by it. We found ourselves in the market for a car at the same time. We bought matching Camrys (hers is lavender). I kind of knew it was an object I would keep until the next major transition in my life, and here I am! Getting married and the car is giving up its ghost.

The idea of purchasing a new car has me thinking about where I'll be for the next ten years. I definitely want a car that's a step up in terms of features and so on, and I am very interested in a small SUV. Pictured at right is the lovely Audi Q7.

Like most Americans, I think of my car as a symbol of personal independence. I like to imagine where I'll go in it. I'll love all that extra space for my photography equipment; maybe I'll drive to more photography gigs. Eventually, I imagine I'll be loading baby seats in & out of it. And maybe taking little ones to school. And maybe sometimes, I'll let my husband drive it!