Love: One Year At a Time

By James Pynn

Buying a car is always a short-sighted affair. Do you really think about what that bucket of bolts is going to look like in ten years? Doubtful. This is, after all, America -- show it to me now and forget about it later. Laying down the cashola for a reliable car just isn't in the proverbial cards. Think of it as the new marriage -- the new commitment with an option to trade.

Think of it as a Tarantino movie scored to a soul-beat soundtrack. It's the first glance from across the parking lot. Then the tense approach. Insert shot of a gloved hand opening the front door. Slide in and grip the steering wheel slowly -- maybe even in slow-motion. Did I mention that new car smell? Some things just don't translated into film metaphors. You love the machine -- you're smitten, which begs the question: should you stay or should you go? Mick Jones, where are you now?

For fifteen years my champagne '95 Accord coupe has been my closest and most loyal partner. Sure, we squabble now and then -- what couple doesn't after this many years? Sure, I neglect her for months on end. But, hey, in true guy-fashion I make it up to her in a big way. Whether it's a ski trip to Aspen or a change of spark plugs, we make it work somehow. This little lady knows what to expect and sticks around regardless.

Sure, it's a kind of monogamy this thing we have, but I'm only human. When a newer, sleeker model cruises by I can't help but look. But I'm satisfied with my loyal Accord. No need to fret -- we've been in this for more than a decade. Consistency is underrated these days. Going A to B at forty to seventy miles an hour on a daily basis, to and back, seven days a week, for fifteen years is an incredible track record.

She can't make me a cup of coffee in the morning -- or cook me some shrimp -- but she makes it up to me in her own way. A solid start, every morning, rain or shine is just as good. I'm still being approached for her hand -- I can't tell you how many times I've heard, "How much do you want for her?" Just as a wife who has the time to pamper herself and spend a little more time in front of the mirror, she can always turn a stranger's head. We always remember where we first met the love of our lives and where I met my partner in crime was at a used Honda dealership. You never know how something great will happen in your life but you definitely know it when it happens. - 29952

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