Cars

I've had 4 cars in my life.

First there was NEON DEON.  She was a red 1996 Doge Neon with grey bumpers, good for knocking those pesky roadkill out of the way on the old country roads I grew up on.  She was lightning fast compared to the 1982 Monte Carlo I got hauled around in before I turned 16.  She was my first love.

Then came Jetta Cheese.  A 2001 mean green Volkswagen Jetta machine that moved me and all my belongings from PA to NC, one of the biggest moves in my life.  She was steadfast carrying me and my 15 friends to and from the beach every day.  She was sold right before my move to England.

Next was Rhonda the Honda.  I was a few weeks from coming home from abroad and I told my dad to pick something out for me.  My only two requests: 4-door and NO SPOILER.  So my dad gets a white 2-door 1999 Honda Accord with a super-sporty spoiler.  Go figure.

Rhonda lasted several years before she left me stranded in a very busy intersection in Wilmington one morning on the way to work.  I vowed never to drive her again.  She had let me down.

Enter BIM.  She's my new ride as of a year ago.  She's a black 2003 BMW X5 and I love her style, class, and energy.  She's energetic like me.  She's hip like me.  And she's far from humble ... just like me.  We fit well together.  

Thinking about the 4 loves of my car world today I realized that Bim is by far the HARDEST one to keep clean.  Her black on black butter exterior shows every bit of dust, pollen, dirt, etc.  I'll clean her to pretty and bright and within a day or two she's a complete eyesore.  And if you know me, I like things clean.

(Hang in there.  I have a point to all of this, I swear.) 

So thinking about dirt and cars today on my way back to work from lunch I got to thinking about Pappy Dearest.  He's the sweetest man that loves himself a clean car.  

Growing up, every Sunday after church he would BLAST gospel tunes on the garage radio and clean all the cars.  Nanny's car. His work truck.  The van.  My car.  He took such pride in his work.  It must be where I got it from.  And still to this day when I make my 8 hour trek home to visit PA, the first morning I wake up in my old bed and look over at my old alarm clock I always know that the second I take back those lace curtains and peer out to the backyard there will be my Pappy cleaning my car.  And he'll look up and smile.  And I'll turn, looking for my sandals, and make my way outside to be with him.