All those years in high school and college, I dreamed about having my own car. While all the rich kids got new cars for turning 16, my parents were reasonable and responsible, and let me borrow theirs, took the time to teach me to be a good driver, keeping a watchful eye on me. I drove their 1990 Mitsubishi Galant (manual everything) for a few years, then drove our 1988 Honda Accord through college.
As a college graduation gift to myself, with some help from my parents, I went in search of my very own car. I hunted around NY in April-May 1999, with my Dad & I negotiating a great deal on a Honda Accord EX-V6. Great features, great handling (in the hands of a master like myself), and I could take my friends along with me. I took the car everywhere, getting all kinds of girls. No, not really, but let’s pretend I have some street cred in my Honda.
The car has served me well. This week, the Honda will reach 191,000 miles, and the rate that it is deteriorating is accelerating. I recently took the car for an oil change, and was “recommended” that I have $500 worth of fluid systems flushed and filled. Nah, not worth it. Another bulb in the dashboard went out, and I can’t read the odometer at night. $90 to open up the dashboard to replace all the $0.10 bulbs? Someone else’s problem. Hard to hear anything at 40+ MPH, and the transmission is about to die? It’s all just not worth replacing.
We’ve started pricing out a replacement car, and we hope to finalize it in the next two weeks. I’m looking forward to driving a nice, quiet, comfortable ride again, but the Honda will always be a little special to me.
What schmaltz.
Amen.