Tonight we said good bye to an old friend. Yes, we finally sold our 2002 Mazda Protege! Actually Jobina sold it while I went to work at OG. I was thinking about this on my way from from work and I realized something; I don't feel bad about selling it. For some reason I never developed an emotional connection to this car. There was nothing wrong or bad about the car - it was all around a good car, maybe even a great car. Very reliable, decent looks, good on gas. The problem was that I never really fell in love with it.
Compare this to my old 97 Suzuki Sidekick. This was not a "good" vehicle! It had so many problems. One by one, all but the most essential engine components began to break down or malfunction. I could never get it clean, the paint was so bad. Often I would drive somewhere and wonder if I would arrive. But I absolutely loved that vehicle! It was my adventure truck. I remember the day I sold it (well, donated it to Teen Challenge). It was devastating and I almost cried. I still miss that stupid truck. The Sidekick represented a side of myself that I cared about deeply - the adventurous, wild-loving side. Maybe that's why I felt like I was losing a piece of myself when we had to get rid of it.
Getting a car is kind of like going out with someone. Sometimes people make a practical choice in their mate, other times you go completely with your heart. I suppose the best choice is one that honors both sides of the equation. Consumer Reports rates customer satisfaction with their vehicles by asking them "would you buy this vehicle again?" What is interesting is how some of the most popular vehicles are also among the least reliable (ex/ Jeep Wrangler, Chevy Corvette). I think the perfect car is one that satisfies both the heart and the mind.
Fast forward to today - I just feel happy about saying goodbye to our car. Farewell dear Protege, you were a decent car but I shall shed no tears for you! And hopefully some day I can get another vehicle - one that like the Sidekick will make me smile whenever I look at it. A guy can dream can't he?
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3 weeks ago
5 comments:
Awww, that is such a cute picture of Riker! Look, he's even got a little blob of some suntan lotion on his little ear! Cute!
Oh, you were talking about cars, right? Sorry...
:P
I'm still upset I never had a chance to say good-bye to the Sidekick...we should have had a farewell party for it.
I remember when you first got the Protege, and you were pretty smitten. Not all things are meant to last though I guess, such as your affection for your car.
Are you going to stick with one vehicle now or are you planning on getting another?
Jay
I think we will get another one eventually, but first we'll need some cash! I would like to get something a little more adventurous - maybe a SUV or truck although Jobina is pressuring me away from anything that eats a lot of fuel. For SUV's either a 4-Runner, Xterra, Sidekick, or CR-V. For cars, well, not much currently appeals to me except maybe Subaru's. We'll see I guess!
I've heard that the Toyota Rav4 has the best gas mileage out of any mini SUV on the market. Their new look sure is better than that bulbus thing they started out with! There's also lots of hybrid SUV's out there that could curb Jobina's fuel concerns.
Glad to hear that you're taking this so well. Go comfort your wife, would you? Judging from her blog which wouldn't let me comment, she's taking this harder than you!
Love, Michele
maybe you never "loved" it because you need challenges to love something. I think there is a Psych theory along these lines, that you need to work for love, feel that you have earned it. don't many couples feel closer after their first positive argument? Almost more attached? as I see it, you had to work awful hard to love the Sidekick, and it loved you back - mostly by keeping going... I loved that thing!!!
Lynne
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