September 2, 2007

Ode to Alvin

Well, we sold my car today. Alvin (so eliquently named by my good friend Sarah, so many years ago), was in pretty bad shape. It was a 1994 Mazda Protege', Green, Rebuilt before I got it. It was my first car, I got it two weeks before my 16th birthday, more than 8 years ago. I remember the day I got my driver's lisence. I drove home from the DMV, dropped my mom off and cruised to my Meme's house. All of my window's rolled down, The wind blowing in my hair, I had never felt so free! Little did I know that my mother must have secretly written TAXI on the side of my car right before she got out. From that day on I drove my brother and his friends and MY friends EVERYWHERE. Of course when it was my friends I loved it, when it was his friends I hated it. My mom would make my brother go to church with me on Wednesday nights, so in order to prove how mad he was about this, he would invite ALL of his friends. I loved bringing new people to church, but this was strictly out of spite! Sometimes I would have to leave 1 1/2 hours early to pick up all of his friends! And we lived in a small town! I remember one night after a 5th quarter, Phil came up to me and said, "I told a couple friends you would give them a ride home." It was already almost 1a.m., so I was like no big deal. It turns out, he told 11 friends! So I took them ALL home, in one trip. For anyone reading this who knows how small my car was, you can only imagine eleven 14year-olds in my car (not to mention some of them by name, Barry, David, Joe, Shannon...). I remember one late night ride when all of the windows were down on my car, suddenly we were attacked by a giant june bug and Barry(sitting shotgun) began screaming his lungs out and literally climbing out my car window! Does anyone remember the drive by light pole? Or the solid year I had a carseat in my backseat as if I was a teen mother, because I toted Keely everywhere I went? Phil's unsuccessful paper route...weren't you supposed to ride a bike or something? So many people took a trip in Alvin one time or another that, in a sermon illustration, our youth pastor asked everyone who had ever ridden in my car to stand up...I was shocked at the response. In a youth group of roughly 75, two-thirds stood up. I won't even metion the time Kara and I raced each other to Joplin. Alvin went much faster than we thought he would. My car took me to Dallas where we both experienced the abuse of 2 stolen CD players, a minor wreck at Dallas Metro, a hit and run at Target, and many different drivers. Luckily, Alvin met Adam...Adam took very good care of my car!
Overall this is an Ode to Alvin, because it was a great car. I had that car for over 8 years, many friends, a marriage, a major move and lots of laughter and tears. Its always hard to get rid of something you've had for a long time, so this is a tough day, but the truth of the matter is...I don't think that car would make it on one more trip to Missouri. So, thank you Alvin for your wonderful years of service to me, my family and my friends.
View All Photos | Amanda Bliss
If you are seriously reading this and made it this far, you now know what a complete nerd I am.
-ABliss