A Car Story.

Paul’s new car got me thinking about my first one, so I thought I’d share a piece of my past. 🙂

This is a 1968 Mercury Cougar. Not mine, but just like mine. Mine was even red. It was my brother’s when I was 15/16, but he wrecked it. It got fixed, but was left in in our field for about a year. This whole time I begged my dad to let me have it. He said I could, but I had to get a job to fix up the body (it needed some work). It was good motivation, so I got the job. I had it painted and the interior completely redone. I even did a little of the work myself.

I lived a lot in that car when I was 16/17…my parents were divorced (now remarried-long story) and I had to go back and forth between the 2 houses for awhile. I kept all my school stuff in my car, bags of clothes, makeup, etc. Even food. It was a thing of solidarity, of peace, of comfort. I could get away in it and it was mine. It was my baby. I remember sitting in the parking lot after school a couple times fixing the carburetor so it would run again. I learned that car. It was a thing of much pride.

It was awesome…I still miss it. I haven’t driven it in 11 years (when I graduated high school-yikes, I’m getting old). I moved out of state that summer and it stayed behind with my dad. Eventually he brought it to me, but it needed work done (to run well) and I could never afford it.

Eventually I got married I moved out of state and again, it stayed behind with my dad. A little over 3 years ago, our family needed a car but could not afford one (another long story). So I told my dad I’d be willing to trade the Cougar for a car he had. My Cougar needed work done still and we didn’t have the cash, to fix it up…I had to sacrifice my car for my family.

I told my mom if they ever sell it (even though it is theirs now), I will die of heartbreak and come back to haunt them. We even have enough cash now to fix it up, but not enough to buy it back…*sigh*  Maybe someday. If you ever hear me scream for joy, you’ll know I somehow got it back.

Oh, yes, I will get it back 🙂