Have you ever thought of the relationship you have with your car? I'm not talking about rational thinking… about keeping or changing it, more the strange emotional shifts that come and go like gear changes.
On the up side, I find that I am never more content with my car than when I am cruising in it after just filling up and after a thorough carwash.
I find myself almost bursting with contentment, confident in the knowledge that the fuel tank's full as if I have quenched the thirst of my ride. There is a particular weird pleasure in seeing the needle actually above the "full" indicator on the gauge. Maybe it captures in that rare moment a positivity that I have achieved a degree of success in life where I am able to fill up way above "full".
This sensation of self-pride is further amplified by knowing that after the wash, my car is probably at its most presentable - the cleanest, shiniest, most-bling-est it could possibly be until the next time.
It's probably all in the mind, but it seems that my car has never ridden better or smoother than at this moment and by being so full of petrol and so sparkly clean, that I, in turn, must look to others at my most perfect - a crisply framed portrait of a man by way of a driver's window.
I have painted an idealistic vision here of one man and his car seemingly in perfect harmony. This would all be true if there wasn't a yin to a yang. What I am saying is that the flip side of this happiness when things are at their best, are the feelings of disappointment and frustration when things go wrong.
More than just frustration, I can admit that I feel let down by my car when she breaks down! What's that all about? In that moment when my car stops running, won't start, has a flat tyre or whatever, I feel compelled to slam doors, throw the keys at the windscreen and just abandon the problem. If I acted on my true feelings I would stand in the street screaming about the injustice of being so embarrassed in public by this display of bad sportsmanship.
I would bring up all the car washes and valets, the oil changes and services all given unconditionally by me to my car, at great expense to my wallet and my time, just to ensure moments like this would never happen. I look at my car like it actually had a hand in whatever had struck it inoperable, and I feel that it has been unappreciative and ungrateful. This can't be normal, can it?
I need to hear back that it's not just me!
Dramatically-auto-matically yours
G*Nice
