200,000 Miles
Today I said goodbye to my car. Not just any car, but my first car. The car that has stubbornly chugged along for 26 years. My very own Millennium Falcon. I was a lucky 18 year old who inherited a car from family friends. The first time I saw that tan colored, '91 Honda Accord, I saw freedom. I envisioned me grabbing my keys, calling my friends, and hitting the road for any destination. Good times. I did not envision the ignition issues, the close call smog checks, the broken defogger, or any of the other mechanical problems I would face. I didn't know I'd wind up breaking the radio, that the interior paneling would be perpetually peeling away from the sides, or that I would dent each front fender. And there was also the wonky battery that wouldn't start when I needed it to, but as soon as AAA showed up it was as if the problem never even existed. I had no idea that a car to be a part of so many memories. So many trips and close calls. Many long conversations and peaceful moments of just cruising. I didn't know that a car could be a sanctuary or my very own "therapist's" office as I was stuck in traffic. Who knew a car could inspire so many "carpiphonies" that helped me figure out the problems I was facing in life? Who knew that a 26 year old car with over 200,000 miles on it could still have so much to offer? Today I said goodbye to my car. That little car with so much heart and so much to give is about to make its greatest contribution. I have donated my car to the ACLU. Whatever money the ACLU makes from selling that beat up Honda will go towards everything the agency is currently fighting for. Whatever money they make will then be matched by my husband and I in a donation for Planned Parenthood. That little car did so much for me. I am so proud to know that it can do even more for others who need it most.
