The Jeep

Yesterday morning I was up early and I just happened to remember that I didn’t get my car inspected this summer. It was due in July, but now it’s September, so I thought, “Better drive to Tuffy and get an inspection.” So at 9AM I did that.

My 25 year old Jeep Grand Cherokee passed with flying colors, and the man who inspected it told me he liked my Jeep. I told him I did too, which is why I’ve owned it for 22 years, and it’s why I plan to own it until I’m dead, and then I’m going to be buried in it.

My Jeep has a 5.2 liter V-8 220 hp engine, which isn’t overly powerful, but it scoots across a highway in first gear. And it’s full time 4WD, so if it’s raining and the road is wet, no problem. I’m trying to cross a busy highway, and when I see a momentary gap in traffic, I can stomp the accelerator pedal and the Jeep just goes. The wheels don’t slip, the vehicle doesn’t hesitate, all four wheels grab the pavement and it jumps across the highway. I love it.

I baby it now because, after all, it’s an old Jeep. It has an old driver, so we’re a perfect match. But I know that when I need it, the Jeep’s engine and 4-speed transmission are there for me. From a standing start, it will roar off to a 2nd gear speed in a couple of seconds. I would never race it; it’s not built for that. It’s built to get you where you where you want to go. The V-8 engine guzzles gas, but these days I don’t put a lot of miles on it, so that’s not a problem. Sometimes in heavy traffic, I will put my life in danger and I depend on the Jeep’s power and 4WD to save my life. It has never failed me.

Why would I get rid of it? That would be like dissing an old friend for being old, when you yourself are old. Makes no sense at all. In my head I know it’s just machinery, but it feels like a living thing that always does my bidding. All it needs is food (gasoline) and water and a little TLC and it’s happy. And if it’s happy, then I’m happy.