Rant #1,439: Inspection Time

Every year, you have to pay your taxes, and every year, if you are a driver, you have to get your state inspection.

It just goes hand in hand with driving a car in this country. You have to make sure that the car you are driving is safe for you and your family to use.

Today is my day. I have an appointment first thing in the morning with a local shop to get this done.

It signifies that I have had my car for about a year, and it is time to get it looked at in this way.

It also makes me a little sad, with the realization that at least for me, the one year anniversary of my car also signifies the one year anniversary of why I have this car in the first place--my dreaded accident of a year ago.

Actually, the one year anniversary was May 10, the day after the 45th anniversary of my bar mitzvah, on May 9. Good and bad things can run back to back, and they certainly do here.

I remember that horrific day as if it were yesterday.

We were driving my son to fill out an application for a job. Rain had just started to fall, and I put my wipers and headlights on.

Then, out of nowhere, another car hit us, T-boning us with such a shot to the side of the car that we tumbled over on the car's roof.

My wife and son got out pretty quickly as police and the EMT arrived, but I was stuck in my seat, with my seat belt on, dangling upside down. I could not get out.

Finally, I was eased out of that position, all the while screaming for my family.

We were all rushed to the hospital, and my oh my, we were so lucky. Just a couple of scrapes and bruises, nothing more.

My pocketbook ended up being damaged more than I was, as due to this accident, I was forced to buy a car I did not figure into my money equation, and now I have a large bill to pay each month to remind me of the accident for the next several years.

I have learned to enjoy the car, because, I admit, due to the circumstances, I really resented it at the beginning. It signified, to me, that accident, and yes, I did have post accident stress, a mild case of it, which certainly altered my perception of the car, at least initially.

Unlike the other car, it has all of these high-tech gadgets, most of which I don't know how to use and don't want to know how to use.

I am discovering new things everyday with this car, such as the other week, where I learned that I can play music through a flash drive hooked up to the USB terminal attached to the radio.

But it is my car now. The other is gone for the ages. It took us where we wanted to go, and protected us when we needed it most.

I have had this new car going on a year, on May 28, so since I have to get an inspection sometime this month, I might as well get it today.

I hope it passes muster. It is a good car, it is my car now, and the other car is gone.

You don't know how long it took me to get that concept into my head, but an accident like my family went through will do that to you.

Anyway, I have to take the day off from work tomorrow to take care of a personal matter, so there will be no Rant tomorrow., and there are two Classic Rants that I put up today before writing this new Rant that should hold you at bay until I begin writing again on Monday.

Have a nice weekend, and speak to you then.