She lasted six full years. It's truly an end of an era, and the conclusion of a chapter in the Story of Jake.
If you are reading this, it means that you heard about the loss of my beloved, lipstick red, Ford Escort 2000, the "Little Red Miracle" (AKA "Putt-Putt", or "POS").
Because it is no longer able to start, or even run normally for that matter, I decided to cut my ties and donate it to Kars4Kids (I know it's shady, but I listen to the FAN, so the jingle was all I could think of). It will be picked up on Thursday morning.
I loved this car. It was the first car I ever owned, although it was the second I ever kept in the heights. Few remember that I kept my brother's old Chevy Corsica (which also happened to be red) and once my brother took it away when he came back from Israel, I was lucky enough to find a replacement from Mo Lidsky. I never would have known it would've lasted six years, become a pillar of the Washington Heights community, as well as an integral part of my life.
People who own cars in the heights will tell you that it is truly a annoying/monumental responsibility: constantly worrying about parking, alternate side, safety, upkeep, etc. For me, I had the special requirement of managing a catalog of many different borrowers, as well as worrying that some girl I go on a date with had been there before with another guy. One can make a strong argument that it is a greater burden than a convenience to keep a car in the heights, but I disagree. I loved my car. I loved the freedom, and I loved being able to go and come from places as I please. I also loved that I bought it for 900 bucks and it really kept up for all these years.
So, why am I getting rid of it? Bottom line - it's been having issues since last summer. Stalling on major streets in traffic as well as overall performance problems. Also - the heat!! The A/C broke a few summers back, and it's been hell to drive in this disgusting NY humidity. I cannot rationalize putting more money down, when I know it's got only a limited shelf-life. Also, it won't start anymore. I wouldn't be able to get it into a shop if I wanted to. So, I put it out to pasture, or as my parents tell me about my first dog, Indy, "we sold him to a farm..." (ya, right)
Because the car has had so much meaning for me in my life, and has connected me to hundreds, if not thousands of people, I decided to make this forum so that people can share stories and memories about what once was. I generally do not "blog" as I do not truly believe I have that much that people need, or want, to hear, I wanted to create a space where people could share stories about the Little Red Miracle, and help me recollect what I may not remember off hand. This seems fitting, as I truly believe I have closed a chapter in my life, and look forward to the next vehicle I will own, and how THAT will create new memories and stories to reflect upon. (This is my hint: hear of anything good/reasonable, lemme know!!)
If you can, kindly add any stories, pictures, anecdotes or or thoughts about The Little Red Miracle in the comments. I am truly looking forward...
