A Life Decluttered: A Case for the Two-Door Car
I love to walk. And – thanks to my years living in New York City – I love public transportation.
In fact, I love walking and public transportation SO MUCH, that upon moving to Indianapolis some 3.5 years ago, I was convinced I could get around this city without a car…
Silly Maura.
I mean, it can be done. I have a nice handful of biker friends. And should you find yourself located near a bus stop that takes you directly to your office, boom – you’re set. But in the cold, windy days of an Indiana winter, I had to admit that this city is sssssssssssssssspread out. And a car – it just makes sense.
It was a tough blow, guys. I am not a car person. For me, they are money pits and the opposite of an investment. I just wanted to take the subway with me to Indy. Instead, my man helped me shop for a used car that would get the job done.
We found a beauty, let me tell you. Clocking in at 180,000 miles (when we bought her), my 2001 Honda Civic has been my trusted compatriot. I never named her, but I coo and compliment her as much as I do my plants. She deserves it. She’s been good to me.
When I got pregnant, I began to fear that we’d need to upgrade. Because that’s what you’re supposed to do, right? We both had two door cars. And my Honda, she’s a petite little thing. How could I possibly fit a car seat inside, let alone hoist it in and out? So we thought about it.
And time wore on.
And the baby purchases accrued.
AND we bought a new house…
I just didn’t care enough to add a new car to the list. So we didn’t.
My daughter is eight months old now, and we’ve been doing just fine.
Listen, I know there are car lovers out there. My husband is one of them! My point is not to bash cars, but rather to apply The Power of Pause and The Art of Conscious Consumption to every purchase – or lack thereof – that you make. Every single one. Even the big purchases. Especially the big purchases.
And what’s more, question your timeline for purchasing. Did we need a new car when I was eight weeks pregnant? Nope. Would it have been nice to have a more roomy option (that didn’t sit so low to the ground, holy God) during my third trimester? Yep.
But again, my daughter is eight months old now, and we’ve been doing just fine.
Somewhere along the line my man started to search for used station wagons. I wasn’t really interested. (Because – third time’s the charm - my daughter is eight months old now, and we’ve been doing just fine.)
But he had his reasons. He was tired of asking a buddy to borrow his pick-up for a trip to Lowe’s; he was tired of borrowing our family members’ bigger vehicles for those yearly trips to Ikea (who’s with me?); and he wanted a car that could fit a tent and gear for the epic camping trips we hope to take. That last item on his list sold me.
So we took our time. We (slash he) researched some more. The search continued. We (slash he) found a great car. And a couple weeks ago, he traded in his sporty four-wheeler for a roomy four door. We didn't 'should' ourselves into anything. We didn't rush. And we got along just fine in the meantime.
I still drive my Honda. We’re going to hold on to her for a bit longer.
