Thursday, July 28, 2016

The End of Big Red


Big Red and his new little friend

I know we are not supposed to anthropomorphize inanimate objects, but I think we all make an exception for our cars.

My big red 2000 Ford passenger van was a thoroughly dependable, useful vehicle; one that has given me the most satisfaction of any I've owned.

When I found it at the dealer's it was love at first sight and I didn't even have to go home and think it over.

It hauled loads of furniture, merchandise for shows, tools and lumber for projects, and even served as an auxiliary storage space just sitting out there in the driveway. But more than that, it was a mobile container for our memories of good times. The trips to Maine and elsewhere, the painting expeditions, and the dogs who each had their own seat.

Ready for work

A handy drying rack

No fair-weather friend

But, as always happens, time and the road take their toll. And a new, smaller red van joined its older brother in the driveway,

Today I had my final session behind the wheel. On the way to the auto graveyard, it drove beautifully - whether as a gesture to me, or as a desperate last attempt to stave off the inevitable. I found one last penny in the cup holder, signed the paperwork and took off the license plate, leaving it looking naked and vulnerable.

Goodbye my big red friend. I'll miss you.


The end of the long, long road.