after 7 and 1/2 years of payments, $2,000 in engine repairs and nearly 1 1/2 months apart, that little black Saturn Ion is mine at last.
i met her in June of 2005, just after graduation, and quickly named her Athena, after the Greek goddess of war and the arts. we struck a leasing deal (which eventually proved to be a disastrous decision) and i drove her off the lot. since then, we’ve had many, many adventures together–road trips to South Dakota, Tennessee, Chicago. she’s absorbed speeding tickets, and fender benders, and sliding across three lanes of icy interstate, and tea spills. she’s been the only constant in my 20’s.
at the beginning of Oct. she fell ill with engine problems. about the same time, i got a call from my attorney. the insurance company representing the lady responsible for hitting me in March had decided on an offer: $20,000. after divying up that amount between medical bills and insurance fees, i was left with just enough to (FINALLY) pay off Athena and send her to the hospital (mechanic). as i would joke with a friend, i got hit by a car but got to pay off my car.
little did I know, her engine problems would keep her on leave for a month and a half; this morning was our first ride to work together in nearly 6 weeks. we celebrated by listening to the Lumineers, and as the sun rose over frost-laden houses along our route, i felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude.
living is a process 