I got the news today about our sick little car. After being in a coma for a week and being in and out of two mechanics, the news was not great. The tension on the timing chain had loosened and major valve damage was done. To save the car, we would need to invest just as much as I had payed when I bought it. I began crying when I heard this news from my dad (and yes, don't worry I was in the Wilk getting copies made, and yes people were totally staring). This car was my first car love. It has been with me through my whole BYU career. It was a trooper and I just wished that there was something I could do to make it better. Yes I know that it is probably weird to others that I feel like my car has feelings, but ever since the first test drive it seemed to speak to me. We would regularly have conversations where it would just listen and make me feel better about any situation.
Today Noah and I went and cleaned out all of my belongings that were in the car and I cried and cried- I told Noah it was like my favorite pet had died. I really have loved this little car, and so I am going to write about some of the good memories that I have had with it. It is my "obituary" for it if you will.
Saturn LS1 2000-2012
May 2008. After being car-less for my whole freshman year, this car and I found each other and instantly became best friends. It was the first major purchase of my life, and I was excited to face the world with my new Saturn. It was perfect. The air conditioning in the summer worked so fast and the heater in the winter would warm up in seconds.
I learned how to take care of this car with instructions from my father. I would regularly check the oil, rotate the tires, fill up the tires (until I found out about Les Schwabs free tire checks, then they took care of that). I learned what each sound went with. I really felt like an expert when it came to my car. I finally was able to go get the oil changed by myself and would always feel so proud when I could tell the mechanics details about the car so they realized they weren't going to be able to take advantage of this girl!
About a year ago the clear coat on the hood started peeling. It was sad, but it always made me laugh when I would drive down the freeway and it would look like it was snowing because all of it would chip off.
My car had a huge trunk which was so helpful in the many {7} moves that it helped me with. I had always dreamed of having a fun sleep over in my car by putting the back seats down and snuggling into the back with my feet sticking into the trunk.
It had a few bumps and bruises throughout the four years. Each time I would apologize and promise to fix it with my white nail polish (which never happened). Most of the beauty marks it gained were from anonymous drivers who never left sorry notes, but one in particular was my own fault. When working as the Events Coordinator for the MOA last year, I was stressed out and in a rush to get ready for an event. I realized I had left my camera at home- and was in charge of photographing the night. I drove home, grabbed the camera and came back to the museum to find no empty parking spots. I resorted to parking in the top secret MOA underground parking where the vans are kept. While pulling around one of the 12 passenger vans, I thought I had enough clearance to not have to parallel, but was so wrong. I ended up running into the cement wall and leaving this huge scrape. I apologized for abusing it and ran in to my event.
This next beauty mark was my cars act of service. (you can barely see it in this picture but there is a nice red scrape a few inches from the lock) Late one night in November after my lovely best friend Cassandra's wedding, Mady, my other best friend was getting into her car when she slipped on some black ice and almost went flying! Luckily for her, she was holding onto her car door which slammed into mine. She was able to prevent herself from falling and we all giggled and laughed at the situation.
This is what I was welcomed to everyday as I started my adventures. Whenever I would do something that would hurt my car (go into a dip where the bumper would scrape) I would say I'm sorry and kiss the steering wheel to make it feel better. This is where I would come to be alone to say prayers and meditate while I lived with roommates and just needed some alone time. It was always there for me. Today I told it I was sorry that it had died and kissed it better one last time.
Today while cleaning it out, I found this little note of encouragement that I had placed on the driver side visor. These words of inspiration from Elder Holland have helped me everyday this semester as I started on my new journey of student teaching. I had some really tough changes happen at the beginning of the semester with where I was going to student teach that made me feel really alone. For the first week I felt inadequate and kind of scared to teach these wonderful kids. When I would pull into the school I would park, say a quick prayer and read these words. They became my source of strength and helped me have a positive attitude everyday, which I am so grateful for.
It has been a fantastic little car and I am so sad to see it leave my story of life. I am grateful for the memories that I have been able to experience and enjoy because of it being in my life. I am really grateful that it is paid off :) and that no one was hurt because of it breaking. I am grateful for my dad who has helped me figure everything out this past week and has fixed each minor problem as it has come about like fixing the break lights two weeks ago :)
So, goodbye little car. I have loved you so much and I am grateful for all of the places you have taken me.
Kates
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