Thursday, September 30, 2021

Eulogy: My car died, unplanned excitement.

 





A few years ago I bought a Jeep. A red Jeep Renegade. It was love at first sight. Then I drove her. I immediately drove to my house and told my husband (at the time) I was buying this car. There was no discussion. I named her Rosie. I programed the clock to military time (because she's a jeep). Strangers asked me about her. I offered rides to people. I moved residence twice and several times for other people (she was great at moving stuff). She was freedom and luxury.  As a person who never washed her car Rosie had a membership to Mister Carwash. She was the best gift I ever gave myself. 

Sadly, she was taken from me by a drunk driver a week ago. It was a sudden, unexpected, and gut wrenching experience. It wasn't just a car, it wasn't just a huge financial and logistical hardship, it was part of my personality. Many people (more than I can count) said Rosie fit my personality perfectly. She was fun and cheery and I loved driving her. One person's careless actions created a huge loss and a hole in my life. It created a ton of work for a lot of people. The police, the EMT, the insurance, and my poor brother in law Ray (he's been really great and thank God he married my sister), but this is not about drinking and driving. Everyone should know at this point that it is truly the worst thing a person can do and a car can very quickly turn into a missile. 


Yes it was a car. Yes I am thankful I wasn't inside of her (mostly because Rosie's airbags did not deploy and they would've needed the jaws of life to remove me) Yes she can be replaced, but it was the action. The careless action someone took to make me a victim. It was selfish and it was dumb and I just can't stop being angry about it, but I forgive this person and I hope they get help they need (they need a lot of help). I know in time the hurt will stop and I will find another vehicle just a fitting, but it was fun for awhile. Maybe it's lame but thank you Rosie for everything you represented in my life and how you enriched it in ways that only an inanimate object with no feelings can. I will miss you and hope you have parts that can be salvaged for other cars, because after all wouldn't that be the best after life for a vehicle?