Driving With No Destination

John Irving’s “Almost in Iowa” was my favorite of the readings by far.
The story seems oddly familiar, as though I’ve either read it before or seen a similar storyline in a movie (or something). Though the driver in the story is going over the edge, I’ve certainly had more than my share of animated discussions with my vehicles over the years.
Just this past week, when my faithful truck punched me in the wallet for the sum of $702 for brake repairs I most definitely did some talking to the old girl. We’re alright now, but our relationship has had a few rough moments this week.
In all seriousness, my brake dilemma got me thinking about how unique our relationships with our vehicles are. Yes, an unexpected expense the size of $700 is not easy to accept, but there was no question in my mind that I would pay for the repair. What choice did I have? If another household appliance was costing the same amount for repairs, maintenance, and to simply run, I would undoubtedly be looking for an alternative. With our vehicles, it’s just a fact of life.

I can relate to the driver in Irving’s piece. There have been a few times in my life where I have jumped in my vehicle and driven, with no real destination in mind. I just needed to get distance (miles) between myself whatever was troubling me. On one especially stressful occasion, when I needed to escape most, my truck at the time completely broke down. I actually asked a friend if I could borrow his car. He never asked me where I was going, and I appreciated that. The truth was, I had no idea where I was going. I was just going. Of course, I wasn’t really getting away from my problems, but the privacy and feeling of safety my car provided me was perfect for the situation. I don’t think I’ve ever had running conversations with any of my cars/trucks, but I’ve most certainly appreciated their companionship and the feeling of safety they have provided me.