I may be only half joking when I tell people that my car is
my best friend…but I really am at least half serious…at least.
Now don’t worry, I don’t really
believe that she’s a person, with feelings and personality, but haven’t you
ever had an imaginary friend? You know that you’re really only talking to yourself, but it’s more fun to pretend, it
even brings you comfort when you’re scared or nervous, it’s someone to talk to
when you’re bored or lonely. That’s how it is with Ruby. And we’ve been through
so much together in the past three years, years which I mark as the most life
changing season of my life, and Ruby’s played a huge role in most of those
moments! So is it any surprise that I’ve developed an emotional attachment with
a car? (Dear readers of the male variety, I’m a girl, we do that.)
Soon, after nearly four faithful years, I am going to have
to say farewell to Ruby. But I will never forget her (surly you males can
understand always having a special place in your heart for your first car!?)
while Ruby may not be my first car, she will always be the most special, and I
want to document our story together…
 |
| Yes, we do dress in matching costumes at Christmastime |
Ruby is a family car, she came into our family when some
close friends of ours moved to Japan and needed to unload her quickly. Just so
happened that at the time my dad needed a car, so he bought her from them. Dad
drove her for a few years before he got the job in Maryland, at which point he
would need a newer, more efficient car to get him from Maryland to Michigan
over the next few months. Meanwhile, my first car, Charlotte, was getting
persnickety and I was in need of a newer, better car then she could be for me.
So, Dad got his new car, and sold me Soon-To-Be-Ruby for the price I got for
Charlotte.
And thus, at the age of 19, I became the owner of my second
car, and I had no idea just how important this car would quickly become.
For the first few weeks of ownership, I mulled over what I
would name my new/used car. I wanted it to be something meaningful, and
something to do with “home”. Because my family would be moving away to Maryland
that summer without me, leaving me “homeless” while I was at camp, following
which I would be going to Colorado for the next few months, and then who knows
where, so the joke was that for me, “Home Is Where My Car Is”. I was sharing this with my co-worker on night
as we were walking to our cars, and she said “Ah, there’s no place like home.” and
that’s when it hit me! Ruby. She is named after the Ruby Slippers from the
Wizard of Oz, the tools which return Dorothy home. “But Ashley,” people always
ask, “isn’t your car silver??” of
course she is. But, fun fact for ya, did you know that in the book The Wizard
of Oz, the slippers were actually silver? Hollywood changed them to ruby for
the movie because the red made a much bigger splash in Technicolor. And now you
know.
So Ruby she became, and Ruby she will always be.
Ruby has been there through all the major life changes I
experienced in the past three years, changes that not only brought me childhood
to womanhood, but also brought me across the country…a couple times. And
whether the journey was literal or figurative, Ruby has been a faithful
traveling companion.
The figurative journeys are many and I’m sure uninteresting
to the casual observer, (lets just say that Ruby and my sunglasses have been
witness to many secret tears and rants…Ruby is a good listener, and she never
laughs at my rambling prayers). But the greatest of the literal journeys was to
the great state of Colorado! Despite the high altitude, Ruby huffed and puffed
and together we acclimated and soon we were both in love with the mountains. We
drove to class and to outings and to homes, but the big adventure, the day that
Ruby truly proved herself as the most faithful of cars, was the day we
concurred Pikes Peak.
My friends and I had been talking about driving to the top
of this beautiful mountain that made its home just outside our windows, but no
one was too sure about being the driver of such an extrusion. Well, I’ve never
been able to say no to an adventure, so I bravely (and perhaps a bit foolishly)
volunteered mine and Ruby’s services. And so, the five (or six, counting Ruby)
of us started out one sunny day, ready for anything.
The ride up was fine; Ruby was a stud, solid as the rocks
beneath her tires. We made it to the top in no time and had a blast playing in
the snow, even building a mini snow man to carry down on Ruby’s windshield. It
was the down part that brought problems.
Shortly after we started down I could feel that something
was different, I didn’t know exactly what, but something in the way Ruby was
taking the mountain was off. I was very, very
scared, but I kept as brave a face as I could for my friends (even though
around every turn I was imagining the breaks going out and, consequently, us
going down!). My friends were concerned as well, we took a break half-way down
to give my girl a rest, and then we slooowly made our way to the bottom. At the
end of the mountain, I heaved a huge sign of relief, the worst was over…but the
trip was not done yet. Even though we no longer faced the chance of careening
over the side of a cliff, we still had at least an hour drive home, during
which time Ruby kept making funny noises, and even stalling at several lights!
“Come on Rubes, you can make it. God, please
let us make it home.” I prayed, and prayed all the way back to the apartment.
We pulled onto our street, and into the complex, and as I started to pull into
my parking space, she stopped…and wouldn't start again. I had to run up and get
some of the guys to help me push her into the space.
Think what you might, but I fully believe (all jokes aside)
that God had angels pushing Ruby home that day; He made sure we made it, safe
and sound.
Well, needless to say Ruby was out of commission the next
couple weeks. I called my dad who knew someone, who knew someone, who knew
someone who was good friends with someone who owned a garage in Colorado Springs.
I was able to have Ruby towed there and they fixed her up, something to do with
the transmission overheating, details aren’t important, what's important is
that she came back, good as new, my brave little car. I was so happy to have
her back!
When we were at the top of Pikes Peek, I’d bought a bumper
sticker that said “Real Women Don’t Need Guard Rails”, I thought I was getting
the sticker for myself, little did I know that the “Real Woman” was actually
Ruby!
Over the few years that followed, we shared many more
adventures, big and small. The next big one was the day we drove all the way
from Maryland to Michigan all alone. I was moving back to the Great Lakes
State, and was a little nervous about the long trip, because as we both knew,
if there was a way to get lost, I would find it! Well I’m proud to say that not
once on the twelve hour drive did we make a single wrong turn! There was a
close call once we hit Detroit and merged onto the free-way on the left, only
to realize that we’d have to exit almost immediately on the right! Across four
lanes of traffic! I almost despaired, when I suddenly remembered where I was. “Ok
Ruby,” I said aloud, “we’re in Detroit now, lets drive like it!” Ruby kicked
the Marylanders dust off her tires and remembered her heritage, and like a
dream we slid easily across all four lanes, not cutting off a single car, and
off our exit we drove!
 |
| Dont let that "Maryland" plate fool you! This girl drives like a true Michigander! |
There were also the many times when I was foolish and let
the gas tank run lower then it should. But God was always on my side, and every
time we ran dry, it was in the driveway of the gas station! (This is not a
point of pride for me, and no worries, I never let Ruby get too thirsty after
that!) She was always faithful to get me as close as she could, it was amazing
really.
There are many more stories that only Ruby and I can
understand, and I will always cherish them. I know all this may be silly to
most of you readers, and some of it is, but all this is just to say how much I’ve
appreciated and loved this car, I’m so thankful for the adventures, and
memories. Ruby was a good, good car to me, despite my silliness. In the years
that I owned this car I grew from a child and became a woman, independent and a
little bit scared, but I always felt safer in my car, my little sanctuary. A place
where I could cry freely without shame, a place where I could talk through my
problems and life confusion with God, and a place where I was free to act
completely ridiculous without caring what other people thought of me, singing
at the top of my lungs and just driving for the enjoyment of it.
So Ruby, though I am sad that we shall not be together any
more, I am thankful for the times we had. And I hope that wherever the next
turn in the road has in store for you, that you will bless your driver as much
as you’ve blessed me.
I love you Rubes!
