Zippy is gone, like our youth

A part of me will always miss Zippy
Cars coming and cars going from our lives are as good a way as any to mark the passing of time. Cars not only take us where we think we want to go, they shape where we decide to go, how we get there, what we can do when we get there and how we spend the journey. They are a reflection of us, our dreams and where we are at the time of our lives when we own them.

They say that 40 is the old age of youth and that 50 is the youth of old age. Zippy, our 1999 Acura Integra, was the car of Sue and my forties. Zippy was the last sporty car of the waning years of our now gone youth. I love my new "truck." But, Zippy will always make me think of driving on highway one, of Susie zipping around in her little sports car, Zippy was the coast, Zippy was warm nights with the windows down and the stereo on. Zippy was driving to Santa Cruz. Zippy was driving across LA in Indian summer with the sun roof open, the Santa Ana wind blowing and the stones blasting on the radio. Zippy was a car of a decade, an era, a youth that is gone. Zippy was the second car Sue and I bought. A year and a half ago we sold Rhonda (for Our "R" Honda) [Link] that was the first car we bought together. But, it was Zippy that came to reflect our short youth together. But, this era was really not ended by the sale of Zippy, it was ended by turning 50, by Susie's car accident [Link] and grand parenthood. Yes, when I dream of Zippy this picture, taken awhile ago, is the way I will always remember her:

She was a fun little car to drive. You could almost think this car down the road. Zippy had that rare quality of being "flickable." It was very fuel efficient. But it was not very practical for more than two people and it did not have very good ground clearance for some of the off road places I like to go. It was fun, it was young, it was zippy!

The last drive Susie and I took in Zippy was to Santa Cruz. The first trip we will take in the new SUV, will be to take Susie, her mom and all their luggage to the airport. A fitting juxtaposition.

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