Cars

When I was 16 years old, I had a dream, a desire, a want — I wanted a white convertible. A cute little sports car where I could put the top down, drive around town, wave to my friends, and tan all at the same time. Oh, the freedom. For a 16-year-old, freedom could actually come with a car--any car. I just needed wheels!

And little did I know that over the next few decades, I would become a car nut. Not just any type of car, though, I became a luxury car buff. Not that I was always able to buy a luxury car, but I sure wanted to.

My first car — the one I bought with my own money — cost all of $150. It was a white Ford Comet. It had plastic blue seats (which got steaming hot in the summer), lots of rust spots, and brakes that barely worked. I had to start pumping my brakes far back from stop lights, stop signs, and cars in front of me--then pray that my car would roll to a stop before touching anything in my path. I got really good at coasting. It's an art form. Also, to get my car looking just a little bit better, I'd take Bon Ami cleanser, make a paste, and scrub that car until the paint was dull and the little rust spots were gone.  I took good care of it and sold it for $50 more than I paid for it — what a deal.

Eventually, I moved up in the world to a cute little VW bug, and after that, I had everything from minivans to SUVs and sedans. I've had luxury cars and not-so-luxurious cars. And now, finally, after all these years--lo and behold, this last weekend--a white convertible.  I am in love. It is adorable. It's just like I imagined it would be when I was 16 years old.

Have you ever wondered why older people buy convertibles? I think I've figured it out. The secret. Or not so secret. It's called a midlife crisis car. I'm unclear on why it's called a crisis. It's more like a miracle. I finally have the ability not only to look at — but to purchase — a car that doesn't need to accommodate more than two people, unless I want it to. And with my kids all grown up, there's no need for a car seat, and I don't have to share it with teenagers. Woohoo--let the fun times begin.

Yesterday we took ours into the city. As we were driving through the beautiful streets of Chicago, the wind softly blowing through our hair and the sun shining down on us, we looked at each other and smiled. We were young again. We were free and young and in love. We were happy. We were grinning from ear to ear. And in that moment, life was sweet.

It's back to our normal routine today —work, errands, life — but that's OK; we had yesterday, and hopefully a whole lot more tomorrows in our cute little white convertible.