It’s a New Car!

Describe a positive thing a family member has done for you.

When I was in high school, I couldn’t wait to get my driver’s license. And when I did, my aunt decided that she could buy me a car so I could get back and forth to school.

She couldn’t afford much so she went to the dealer and asked what she could get that was inexpensive. And that turned out to be a 1964 Chrysler Newport. Yes, with vestigial fins.

The size of the car probably explains why I now love driving sub-compacts. It was long and wide. It did have a few cool aspects, such as the push button gears and the floor button that changed the headlights to high beam. It also had a continuous front seat and large backseat, which I never got to use for romantic purposes.

Unfortunately, I got it when it was 9 years old and had been driven hard. As a result it spent a lot of time being repaired. So, too much of the time spent driving it was to and from the Feeney and McGuigan auto shop. I don’t know why my aunt chose that one; maybe she could pay on time. Likely she paid twice or three times the amount for the car to get it running again.

But it was great to have a car, and the freedom to go where I wanted when I wanted (when it was running). To and from school, back again for basketball games, then out for pizza afterwards. I could give people rides as needed. Roll those windows down and feel the breeze on my face (because of course it had no air conditioning).

The car got me through high school, but died soon after. When my aunt retired she let me drive her car (a Plymouth Duster because she always bought from the Chrysler dealership). So that got me through work and into my first two years at a local college—and so the wide front seat of the Duster car did see a little romantic action….