Well Done, Good and Faithful Servant

She'll never take a prize for her beauty, but that's okay with me - neither will I.  We're both past our prime, but grateful we've gotten this far.  Yes, we've acquired our fair share of dents and dings along the way, but we live with them and keep a'goin'.

She's a '96 Nissan Altima, and I love her. Plain and simple.

We met when she was only two years old and still looked brand spanking new.  Oh, she was a pretty thing then, yes indeed, deep glossy black with a plush gray velour interior and polished walnut veneer on the dash.  So roomy, front and back; plenty of leg space.  Mirrors on the sun visors and entry to the trunk from the back seat.  Even the dashboard clock worked.  I knew from the moment I slid into that soft seat that we were meant to be.

How many times has she taken us to Florida?  How many miles has she logged on weekend excursions; ferrying me to work and back?  She's endured the hot sun, sleet, and snow, and been pelted with hail more than once.  She delivered me safely home during a tornado, even though her roof was bumped by a trampoline as it flew across the road.

Yes, she's served me well, and it shows.  Her coat has lost its luster, and there's a small rusty fissure on the passenger side. The large dent in the back still reminds me to make sure the garage door is up before I back out.  Inside, the seats are worn, but perhaps even more comfortable than ever.  The clock loses a minute or so every month, and my Tchaikovsky tape has been stuck inside the cassette player for going on five years now.

Every time she turns over another thousand miles, I give her an encouraging pat on the dash.  She earns her praise.  Every time she reaches another milestone, I snap a picture.

So she's no longer shiny and new.  She doesn't have individual climate control, an in dash navigation system, or voice recognition anything.  Shoot, she doesn't even have a cd player.

But she has my heart.  And appreciation.  For now and many miles yet to come.