Cars

I was thinking the other day about my first car.  Daddy bought me a 1953 Plymouth with the shift on the column.  I was so excited.  He did this so that I wouldn’t ask to borrow his car.  I can remember him handing me the keys, telling where the gears where and then sending me off down the road.  I asked him if he was going to go with me and he said, “No.”  I look back now and realize that was a very smart move on his part.  As I have taught each one of my children, and Eti, how to drive a standard I know that Daddy’s temper would have flared up.

That car took me everywhere, up the mountains, over to Provo, down to Nephi, dragging Main, and out in the fields.  It was wonderful having that freedom.  My friends and I would all pitch in a quarter and buy gas that would take us all night to use up.  I remember gas being about 20 cents a gallon.  I drove that car all through high school and my first year at BYU.  All the memories that come with this car take me back to a simpler, carefree time.

I remember going up the hill one day on my way to campus and it died.  When I finally got it started again and got back to my apartment, I called daddy.  He came and got it, sold it and bought me a 1967 Plymouth Fury.  I was so sad to see my “Puddle Jumper” go.  If I could, I would find another one, make sure that it works and drive it all over town.

Some of my other cars:

Plymouth Fury – 1967

This car was kind of a rust brown.  I drove this car for the rest of my year at BYU and then while working at European Health Spa, ZCMI, and when I started at the court house.  This car took my friends and I to Vegas, American Fork Canyon, Wyoming, Idaho, Colorado and Yellowstone.  We had a wonderful time in this car.  However, not my first car and the joy that comes with that car.  (I hope that my  Fury doesn't feel bad.)

Dodge Colt – 1976

This car is the first car that I bought on my own.  It was similiar to the pictures except silver with black trim.  This car saw me through numerous heart breaks.  I would get in her and drive and drive.  I loved that feeling.  I most remember this car taking me to Idaho, Phoenix, California, and all other points in between.  In this car, my neice Kelly and I had the adventure of our life getting stuck in snow up American Fork Canyon.  We named the day "Carport 1977."   We laughed and laughed.

Plymouth Arrow 1980

This is the car that I bought when I came home from Hawaii in 1980.  My car was a light blue.  Again this car took me everywhere, and I had a lot of fun.  It helped me get to my job at the J.Reuben Clark Law School and then again at the law firm in Salt Lake, Holmes Roberts and Owens.  This car saw a lot of action.  When Eti came over, this is the car we drove.  When we were married, this was the car we drove.  This is the car that I taught Eti how to drive.  (Refer back to my first car where my dad gave me the keys and said go.  I should have done that.)  We were coming home one night from Springlake and we were on the 6th North Exit in SLC.  Eti shifted the car down and it started to lurch.  He pulled it over, got out and sat on the side of the road and said he wasn't going any further.  It was one o'clock in the morning, and he is so stubborn.  Finally I was able to get him in the car and I drove the rest of the way home. 

We shipped this car to Hawaii and slowly watched it rust out.  However, it did take us all over the island and gave us many a thrill.  One time while Kirk and I were driving down the freeway by Millilani, the hood flew up, and we couldn't see a thing.  That was frightening going 70 miles an hour and bam right in the face, not being able to see.  We laughed and laughed and tied it down with some rope that was in the trunk.  When our family left Hawaii, we gave the keys to a neighbor and said do what you want with it.   

Since then we have had numerous cars, mostly vans and they have taken us on wonderful outings with our kids.  We have gone to New Mexico, Texas, California, Arizona, Woodland and well all over in between. 

Now it seems like the only place we go is the dump.  Sigh!