The Right Age: Should I get another car? | Columns

By Nan Donovan, columnist

My little pink Ford Focus has lastly bit the mud. I’ve had that automotive for fourteen years and I beloved it. It was simple for me to get into, I’m quick and considerably handicapped. I used to be heartbroken to see it go.

I’ve been three months and not using a automotive, deciding what I used to be going to do. Ought to I get one other automotive? I actually don’t want one, do I? The reply is Sure! Despite the fact that I dwell on the town, the place every little thing is shut, I detest all the time asking different folks to take me to appointments. Subsequently, more often than not, I canceled them.

After I needed to go to the grocery retailer or financial institution, I needed to make preparations for another person to take me. Typically instances it didn’t swimsuit them and generally, relying who the particular person was, they didn’t present up.

I made a decision to get one other automotive. Not a brand new one. I used to be additionally on the lookout for one thing that was ‘filth low-cost’. I didn’t care what 12 months, it needed to look presentable, good fuel mileage and it needed to be dependable. That wasn’t asking an excessive amount of, was it?

I lastly heard of an older woman who was ailing, didn’t drive any longer and had a automotive sitting idle. She stated it ran, nevertheless it wanted an inspection. My grandson went to see it. He stated it wanted an influence window, he would put new tires on it, and that was all it wanted to get inspected. And better of all, the worth was one thing I believed was cheap. It’s within the storage now being inspected.

The following factor I did was search for issues on the web to scrub the automotive. Because it had been sitting for fairly a while, it wanted a radical job. Jeff can have the pleasure of doing that job additionally.

On my searches I discovered a automotive cleansing material that eliminates scratches, scuffs, filth, stains and far more. Sounded good. Then there was a headlight cleaner that eliminated the soiled movie from headlights. Received that. A hand-held automotive vac to get all of the filth and litter, and I believed whereas I used to be getting every little thing to make the 1998 automotive, sure, you learn that proper, look presentable…I bought new ground mats and seat covers.

Now I’ll have a automotive that’s 26 years outdated that may serve me properly, I hope. I cannot have to fret about if somebody bumps into it and makes a bit dent. 

Who is aware of, that automotive should still be operating when in the present day’s vehicles shall be within the junkyard. Again when this automotive was made, it was made with higher supplies, value far lower than in the present day’s fashions, and it’s a Buick. They have been a extremely sought-after automotive, again then. Now they don’t make them. I’m wondering why?

We’ll simply should see if this outdated automotive takes this outdated woman the place she desires to go.

Pray for me and the automotive.

Until subsequent time, be protected.

“The Proper Age” is a weekly column written for senior residents by 84-year-old Nan Donovan, who has lived within the Shenandoah Valley for 45 years. She has labored for newspapers, in addition to radio and tv stations, together with WLCC. She moved to the Valley from Pennsylvania.

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