car musings

My car is old. Ancient, even, by today's standards. It was in an accident once, had its windshield replaced, brakes fixed, new tires, countless oil changes, and a very, very close brush with death. A few years ago it was given a grim diagnosis.

"It could go any day now" the car-guy said. "Or, it could last a few months. We just don't know".

A friend of a friend advised me to make it look real nice and sell it. Somehow, though, that didn't seem ethical. How could I sell my car to someone when the car-guy said might go any day? Eventually I got over my fear of konking out on the road and starting driving it around town. I mean, I do have AAA and friends to come rescue me, right? So if I get stuck somewhere I won't actually be stuck, right?

Today, though, I had to take the car in to get the seatbelt fixed and unexpectedly had to leave it at the dealer. After getting over my annoyance at a miscommunication with yet another car-guy, I took the bus and walked home. It gave me a chance to reflect on car-lessness. So many blogs I've read recently are of folks who are forsaking their cars for more sustainable forms of transportation. They commute by bike, by bus, or by foot. They combine trips when forced to use their autos, or they carpool. It all makes so much sense...

Can I use my car less? Yup. Do I always make the "greener" choice? Nope. But I want to. I want to keep that slightly giddy car-free feeling I had on my walk home. I want the freedom to make that quick coffee stop or to pop into a local shop. I want to do less harm to the environment and just take more time.

Of course, this is all easy when it's sunny and 75 degrees. Who knows how I'll feel in the middle of a Michigan winter.

For now, though, I'll continue to explore car-lessness and continue to read and continue to see if I can make changes...slowly.