Goodbye Silver Bullet

Today was a somber day. I watched my Pathfinder drive away with another owner. And I actually cried. I had sunglasses on, but my voice cracked when I was trying to be professional and say thank you. I have got to work on the "business" side of me before I get set up in this whole law business.

If you are interested in selling a car, I now know everything you need to know. Prior to today, I had no idea what I was doing. First of all, the guy that I sold the car to was anxious to get it as quickly as possible. He asked me to bring the title when he actually looked at the car for the first time. Umm....where is that pesky piece of paper? Of course, I blamed my mother for giving me something of such great importance at the young age of 20. I don't think it was a very good argument. So, I had to explain to the guy that we could do a Bill of Sale and I would next day air the title. I don't know what I was thinking. Have you ever heard of a DMV that does next day air specifically for you? Me neither.

So, we met at the Fed Ex office while I mailed my request for a title (that will be returned in 2 weeks.) We made copies of the Bill of Sale (this was his idea) and copies of our driver's licenses (also his idea.) Both were great ones, I must say. Then I gave him the keys. Did I say keys? I meant the one key that I still have to the car. I wish y'all could have seen his face. "You only have one key?" I said yes and then mumbled some excuse that I don't think he really cared about. (Mike kept conveniently wandering away. I think he was embarrassed too...)

But, it all worked out in the end, and I watched my little SUV drive down the road while I cried. You see, I have been driving that car for eleven years. That is a lot of events that the Silver Bullet had been a part of. She was around when I was in college, when I got my first job, when I met Mike. She has traveled to Mississippi, Virginia, Missouri (she didn't like it there either), Louisiana and Florida (just to name a few.) I have eaten more breakfast bars in there, had more diet cokes and had more passengers in that car than I can even count. And I have impressed more than one person by showing off that she is a "stick."

That car was perfect despite the fact that it had a large crack in the windshield, the clock worked when it wanted to and there are random pieces of plastic that have fallen off and I'm not sure just where they were supposed to go. The Silver Bullet endured at least 8 people crammed into her on a Saturday night in New Orleans, listening to '80s songs while everyone sang/screamed at the top of their lungs. She survived boyfriends and break ups way before Mike was around. The type that led to me driving around with the windows open and some sort of country love song blaring while I dramatically cried, thinking I would never find "love" again. She survived my sister driving her into a large cement pole at the gas station. And she was there when I got married. So today when I said, "Take good care of her! She has never been in an accident!" while sobbing, I didn't really feel that silly.

Here's only hoping the replacement, "The Blueberry" will be as reliable and bring as many memories as the Silver Bullet. She has some big tires to fill.