Keep On Truckin'

My first vehicle was a brand new 2000 silver Ford F-150. It was all mine; a birthday present. The odometer read 25 miles. The new car smell remains ingrained in my memory. I had just turned 47. Up to that point, Keith and I used the same car. His car. I would get to name this one.

In 1975, our family grew to three when Tommy was born. We needed to get to work, university classes, and babysitter (and eventually school), shopping, and an ever-growing list of activities and social events. With touching fondness, I recall our times together in the car. To me, those were incredibly special. When we were on long trips, we would all sing with the radio and play games, i.e. who located the most VW Bugs. When Tommy graduated from the car seat, we played a game to see who could buckle up first. We did this to make this an automatic task, a habit. Get in, buckle up and yell first! On the road, Tommy would play many imaginative scenes in his back seat. His sound effects were amazing. Sometimes we would go exploring around Tucson and he would worry. He wouldn’t play any backseat games, instead he would ask if we had enough gas, will we be able to find our way home, what would happen if we had a flat tire or accident? We tried to reassure him that all would be okay. It always was.

While our son wasn’t driving yet, we could still get to and from work and school, and Tommy to and from school, plus all our other destinations. Sometimes one would arrive a bit early or occasionally someone would have to wait for another to finish. It all worked out. When Tommy started driving and passed his driver’s test, he would help with small errands. As his driving skills progressed, he was given more opportunities to run errands.

Since my brand new truck didn’t have a back seat or any storage, we purchased a silver truck bed toolbox installed behind the cab. I loved driving that truck. I loved the elevated perspective. After that first truck, I got to drive two more trucks: a 2003 Ford F-150 (red with extended cab and tonneau cover), and a 2005 Ford F-150 (blue super crew with a tonneau cover). Then became more conscientious about the world, and in 2015, we purchased a new silver Subaru Forester.

The next vehicle we want needs to be an EV or perhaps a hybrid. Research.