In time all things breakdown

We're constantly trying to make things live longer or at least deceive ourselves on the idea of aging. Cosmetics, surgeries, and the list goes on and on and yet most things are created with a definite lifespan. Perhaps things are even created to breakdown and that in integrated into its very life. Maybe we are like that. Yet, everywhere around us things are consistently aging and breaking, being created and born, living and dying. Yet, we fight this both in our physical realities and in our mind. I suppose sometimes its natural to feel this way given our world, but is it healthy?

Last week I looked down to see the check engine light pulsing in my car. Thinking, "Well, dang" I turned around and headed home. As I looked down to shirt I noticed something even more peculiar, suddenly I was no longer limited to the road rules of man! Yes, my speedomter had stopped working and thus no man could claim how fast I was going! Therefore I slammed on the gas and sped around everyone towards home! Okay, well, not really. However, I did think, "Well, dang dang." Later in the week I tried the car one more time, this time at night, this time to discover the entire electrical system was pulsing. This included my headlights which resembled a police officers lights and I thought, "Well dang, dang, dang!"

Today I took my car to the reliable Hondar House. They're so honest there and I love 'em. Turns out it's not that big of a deal. Just a few wires inside a bracket that need replacing for a mere $150. I can cover that. Sure, fix it I said and went on home to await the dreaded call of... "Oh, we also found...x,y,z." Find they did. Turns out I'm looking at an entire exhaust system rooted from a cracked manifold. Terrific! I could drive on that and cross my fingers that I pass inspection. The worse news, appears my master clutch cylinder is shot and my clutch might go out at any moment. "Well, dang, dang, dang, dang!" But, I think Sam and I could fix that ourselves.

All this is way under the worst news yet. Worst news yet you ask. Honda's emissions warrany covers all 96 Civics up to 150k miles to replace all exhaust problems (i.e. my problems) for free. The current mileage on my car? 152k. In July, my mileage was 149k. You can see how often I drive my car. My reaction at finding this out was no longer "Well dang!" Now, it was "Well damn!" or maybe worse. I'm calling Honda tomorrow to beg for mercy and fix all this...in they do, and I can fix the clutch cylinder, my car is in decent shape. If they don't, well, I can get by without much problem to be honest.

The interesting thing here is not a loss of a car but a moving on from the memories. It wasn't until I realized how much I loved this little car (my first real car - thank you parents) and how much we've been through together. Dates, road trips, hours and hours of stress relieving rides, hands through the sun roof, my first stick, memory after memory. My first real experience in aging and realizing that in time, all things age and there is a season for holding on and letting go. I suppose we shall see but soon enough it will be time to let this first car go. Yet, I'll always have the memories.

In truth, this thing breaks and I'm gonna teach myself as much about cars as humanly possible - meaning I'm fixing the thing and worst case, there's a junk yard a mile away and I'll get my $100 bucks. Thank goodness for Zipcar! One right around the corner! Lovin' it.