May 2014

When the time came to replace our old Dodge Aires years ago, Kristin made me promise not to sell it. She was maybe 9 years old at the time and said she wanted it for herself when she grew up. I told her I'd buy her another car, but she wouldn't entertain the idea of parting with our old car, and being sentimental myself, we decided to keep the old Aires and park it. That old car was full of memories for us of driving her to school while she sat in her little carseat in the back, trips to Chuck E Cheese (with the heater not working), church on Sundays, Wednesday night trips to Shoneys after church (kids ate free on Wednesday nights), lots of shopping trips to the little "Everything $1 Store" (the only place we could afford to shop most of the time), and several vacation trips around the area. When Kristin was big enough to move to the front seat, she stuck stickers on the inside of the glass on her window, where the faded remnants of the old stickers still were seen today when we last viewed the old car. Over the years, time was unkind to the old car, as it can also be to these old frail bodies of our own. Perhaps if we'd had a garage its appearance would have been different today as we watched it being taken away. We're not sure of its fate; most likely it will become scrap metal, although the guy taking the car insisted he was going to try to restore it. All I know is that as that old car was towed away today, a little piece of Kristin and me went with it. I'm reminded of the old Dan Seals song, "My Old Yellow Car." Thank you, God, for that old piece of junk that got us where we wanted to go. It was paid for, it worked, and although it was a little chilly in the Winter to drive, it served us well. Time marches on, and you have to let go of the past, but that doesn't mean that you have to like it.

When the time came to replace our old Dodge Aires years ago, Kristin made me promise not to sell it. She was maybe 9 years old at the time and said she wanted it for herself when she grew up. I told her I'd buy her another car, but she wouldn't entertain the idea of parting with our old car, and being sentimental myself, we decided to keep the old Aires and park it. That old car was full of memories for us of driving her to school while she sat in her little carseat in the back, trips to Chuck E Cheese (with the heater not working), church on Sundays, Wednesday night trips to Shoneys after church (kids ate free on Wednesday nights), lots of shopping trips to the little "Everything $1 Store" (the only place we could afford to shop most of the time), and several vacation trips around the area. When Kristin was big enough to move to the front seat, she stuck stickers on the inside of the glass on her window, where the faded remnants of the old stickers still were seen today when we last viewed the old car. Over the years, time was unkind to the old car, as it can also be to these old frail bodies of our own. Perhaps if we'd had a garage its appearance would have been different today as we watched it being taken away. We're not sure of its fate; most likely it will become scrap metal, although the guy taking the car insisted he was going to try to restore it. All I know is that as that old car was towed away today, a little piece of Kristin and me went with it. I'm reminded of the old Dan Seals song, "My Old Yellow Car." Thank you, God, for that old piece of junk that got us where we wanted to go. It was paid for, it worked, and although it was a little chilly in the Winter to drive, it served us well. Time marches on, and you have to let go of the past, but that doesn't mean that you have to like it.