Can an inanimate object, a thing, have a soul? Perhaps a personality? Maybe you would allow that it could hold a special place in your life. A connection to memories. Something that was with you or belonged to you during an important part or phase of your life. With me, this thing happens to be a car. A 1998 Ford Taurus sedan to be exact. This car was the first one that I ever owned. It was parked in my driveway for the entire duration of my married life. It was with me on many business trips alone and with my family, it was used to transport my little one to school, to play dates, and to dance lessons, to name a few. I guess that I form a special attachment to some things, a kind of friendship in a way. A good example of this is the warmth that I feel when I spot my car in the airport parking lot after being away on a trip. It just fills me with a warm feeling of comfort, of familiarity, of, well, friendship.
Well, like relationships with people, nothing lasts forever. There is always a beginning and an end. Such is the case with my 1998 Ford. Recently my old friend passed the 100,000 mile mark and then started to show its age. I became a regular at the repair shop, and after several thousand dollars, everyone began to call me by name. I sensed the end was near. I tried for a time to ignore the signs, to go on as I always had, to hope that the last repair would hold my friend tight for a while. Alas, two weeks ago it was the air conditioner. An estimated $1,000 repair was the final straw, and led to saying goodbye. For the past week, I have been developing a new relationship that I hope lasts for a while. Anyone who knows me, knows that I hate goodbyes more than anything.
