On a Road to Nowhere

[orikes]

This November, I will have been without a car for three years.

Three years without reliable transportation. Three years of depending on someone, anyone else to take me to the store when I needed to go. Three years of having to use the bus system to get to and from work no matter what. Three years of thinking, "Hey I'd really like to go see ..." and then realizing it's nearly impossible to get to the theater by bus... and still get home afterwards. Three years of being a backseat driver, knowing the best way to get someplace, but not being able to choose the route. Three years of not being able to take a road trip anywhere. Three years.

Not having a car is not the worst thing in the world. It’s very inconvenient and limiting. Most people are sympathetic, but don’t really understand what it’s like to be without a car. They’ve either never had to go more than a day or two without their car, or they live in a big city where the public transportation is easier to use than a car.

As an aside, I honestly don’t know how my mother lived her whole life without learning how to drive a car. Or, I should say, actively fought against learning how to drive a car, no matter what my father did to try and teach her. I really do wonder what happened to her that she absolutely refused to learn. Was it fear? Was it her being manipulative? I really don’t know.

This weekend, though, gave me a taste of that elusive four-wheeled freedom again. For the first time what seems like an eternity, I had unlimited access to a car for two whole days. For a few reasons, the largest being ‘because I want to’, I rented a car. It was probably more money than I should have spent and it could have gone towards paying off one of those evil, lingering parking tickets that are the primary reason I can’t have a car right now, but I said screw it and rented a car.

It was… joyous. I could go where I wanted to, stop where I wanted to, do what I wanted to. I could do as I pleased and didn’t have to worry about bothering anyone else. I drove down roads that I wanted to just because they were there. I stopped at places I wanted to stop at just because I could. I took the long way home just because.

I also got to do something I have been missing terribly since I had to take the car off the road back in November 2002. If something looked interesting, I stopped the car, got out, and took pictures. The camera is always with me, but I haven't been able to take pictures of some places I want to because I can't get there on my own. For 48 hours, I got to change that.






















I had to take the car back on Sunday. It renewed my motivation for getting these parking tickets taken care of and seeing about getting a car on the road. Even if it would make getting to and from work easier, it would also give me back a freedom I really miss.

(I'll probably be renting a car again in September. An old MU* friend is theoretically getting married in Ohio. I haven't gotten the invitation yet, but she sent me a postcard telling me what weekend it was. I am not going to miss that particular event.)

Comments

[eternityschild.livejournal.com]

Oh... I totally understand the no car thing. 3 years??? Oi. I am going stir crazy after almost 3 months. It might be longer considering we're down to 1 reliable car to share. Even so.. I hate this being stuck at home and picked up to go places. Anyway, congratulations on renting the car and tasting freedom.

Amazing...

[rheaven.livejournal.com]

Your photography is beautiful, much like your writing. Hope you get that vehicle soon!

[cori-chronicles.livejournal.com]

I love the pictures! Woot! Glad you enjoyed your weekend... sorry it had to end... Hopefully soon you'll get it all sorted!

[7th-son.livejournal.com]

My wife and I lived in Wisconsin for a couple of years, and one of the things that made it really tough was that we had to share the car. We're both used to being able to go out and do things whenever we want; I do all my writing out of the house, and so on. So having to trade off on the car was a real stresser.

So, I share your pain.