Owning a Car is Like Being in a Committed Relationship

I remember the first time I saw her. She was sitting in the parking lot at our local surf spot and the sun was shining on her as it set in the background. I was immediately drawn to her- had to be near her, had to touch her, wanted to be in her. It was love at first sight. I barely had time to think it through before Diva and I decided we HAD to add her to our family

As some of you may or may not know, Diva and I are the proud owners of a beautiful 1978 yellow Volvo. We bought her for $700. She has many kinks, such as a front driver side door that will not open unless unlocked from the inside, a hood that will only close if you wiggle the lever, a radio that doesn't work, a window without a handle- you get the point. Despite all of her flaws, we love her with all of our hearts and I consider it these oddities that make her so special.

But it has not been all cruises to the beach with the windows down and Bob Marley jamming from the iPod speakers we have set up in the glove compartment- it has already been a test of patience and commitment. It has required learning how to compromise. It has meant acquiring new skills in how to fix problems. It means spending money that you would rather be putting towards a night out with your friends. Its the most committed relationship I've ever entered into and its teaching us a lot about life, love and yes readers- heartbreak. Because this one, well she is a heartbreaker.

Along with the good- ie. pulling up in the parking lot of your local surf spot in a sweet bright yellow car with surfboards in the back and stickers in the windows, catching everyone's attention- comes the bad. A blown tire in the parking lot requiring a $100 tow to a local mechanic and then another $90 on one new tire. An inability to start the car if she is parked on a slant, or if its raining and you only have 10 minutes to get to work, or if you are going up a hill and Jack Johnson is right beside you with his entire family...

And so possessing this dream car has brought us joy and laughter and heartache and troubles. But in the end its all worth it. Because I wouldn't trade her in for any other car on the planet. She is ours and we love her no matter what- in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, til death do us part- you get the idea. We love Jaune and nothing is going to change that. Fancy cars can come and go, but this one, she's a classic.