I think George Strait spoke straight to my heart when he sang the lyrics:
And I said, well I got a car, she said, there's something
At least it's a start, I said, it's better than nothing
The happiest memory I have of my car wasn’t when my parents told me it was mine. It wasn’t the first time I got behind the wheel by myself and drove in no particular direction simply because I could. It wasn’t even the time it got me to my first real job on time, though all of these are pretty fond memories for an inanimate object.
Nope, the happiest memory I have of my car was when John first drove her. For hours through flat land, past signs saying Leaving Texas and Welcome to New Mexico. It was knowing that my car was reliable enough, safe enough, to make that impromptu drive. It was the fact that my car gave me the ability to have fun. It was the fact that my car became a sanctuary of sorts, a place to discover the world with someone else. A place to get to know each other without stopping, listening to the radio, yelling and singing over the sound of the wind rushing past the open windows.
Though John and I had hung out together before that drive, I think of it as the start of everything between us. It pushed us past the awkward first-dating stages. It showed that we were both adaptable, spontaneous, and as it turns out resourceful enough to find our way back home even when our money didn’t last as long as we expected.
And it was completely, totally possible because of Tina.
Tina, my 1997 Toyota Camry. With her cracked windshield, her bumper that is a slightly different color than the rest of her, and her dirty, dirty interior. She might not be the shiniest car on the lot but she’s always been dependable.
It’s not a coincidence either. Because my car means so much to me, I know that I have to take good care of her. I make getting her oil changed regularly a top priority because I know it’s one of the easiest things I can do to keep her - keeping on.
I find that Walmart’s Auto Care Center is the perfect place to do that. Not only can I take my car to get its regular maintenance but while the ACC workers are doing their thing, I can do mine. I can go grocery shopping, book-browse, or buy things to make Tina shine a little brighter and smell a little better.
Choosing which scent I want Tina to smell like (new car or cherry) can be an hour long process. Choosing which oil I want in her is a no-brainer because it’s always Quaker State. My personal choice is the Advanced Durability bottle (green). It’s tough enough for all the driving I do and really puts up with the different temperatures we can go through in a matter of days here. Of course if you need something a little different you can always try out Ultimate Durability or Defy for those of you who drive to the moon and back. Whichever you choose, I’m sure that you and your car will love it.
People who don’t know me and see Tina as a little beat-up-granny-car may ask if I’m sure she’ll get us where we need to go and I just tell them in the words of George Strait:
If there's one thing I know girl, it's gotten us this far
So what is your favorite car story? What tips or tricks do you have for keeping your car in tip-top shape?Visit Quaker State to see other blogger’s tips, tricks, and memories involving their favorite four-wheeled friend.
No comments:
Post a Comment