“Goodbye,” you whisper, waving as you watch the tow truck wind its way down the street and disappear; its cargo your car. And if you’ve got any sort of history with that car, it can make it hard to part ways. So to speak. Some fond car owners find a goodbye party or a ritual helps ease strong feelings that come with saying adieu—feelings that may take you by surprise—after all, a car is not a person, even if you have named it.
Did you drive the car to a first date, to the hospital with your special passenger in labor? Maybe you hung out with your friends in that car, not long after you got your license, just cruising around. The location of a memory is forever associated with that memory in your mind.
Look, it’s not like you’re going to cut off your hair or banish yourself from the kingdom over saying goodbye to your car. It’s not THAT big a deal. Still, it isn’t something to brush off, as if it has no meaning at all. If your car means anything to you, actively say goodbye, however you choose to do it.
How to Say Goodbye
Three ways to say goodbye to your car:
- Write three memories on a small piece of paper. Fold it tiny and stick it in the glove compartment. Your car can’t read, and it may be going to a recycling plant, but writing it down and placing it in the car helps you understand why you feel a connection to a complex machine.
- Toot a party blower or open something fizzy and raise a toast. That certainly constitutes a goodbye party for an inanimate object with which you share a history.
- Have someone take a photo of you posing with your car. You don’t have to frame it, though you can if you like, but keep the photo somewhere. You can come across that photo at some point in the future and smile at the memory of yourself at the wheel at a momentous time in your life.
As you take leave of your car, use as many of these suggestions as you like. You can also think up your own way to mark the occasion. However you say goodbye to your car, remember also, to be grateful for the good times, and for lessons you learned from the rest.
2 Responses
thx for this article. i get so attached to my vehicles. i swear they have souls. my 2013 Jeep Grand Cherokee runs fantastic with only 33k miles, tires with just 4k on them. but it’s a 2013 and the entire underside is rusty. just worries me that things will begin to fail. both rear shocks are failing and the front passenger side clunks and careens when going over bumps at speed. estimates to repair were between 4k for 4 new shocks all the way up to 10k if the upper and lower control arms are to blame for the pass front sway. most experts say not to put more than half a cars worth into repairs and KBB is between $9k and $12k, depending on the day. Carvana just offered me $17.9 though. but, b/c the the Jeep has the air suspension, it corrects the sway immediately. but i still don’t trust the Jeep on road trips and rented cars last 2 times i traveled. one of those times i rented an SR5 and was smitten with how easily and intuitively it drove. so i just picked up a 2023 4Runner after not finding Jeep or getting a decent deal if I did find one.
driving the newer SUV, there are caveats abound when comparing to the Grand Cherokee but it’s a better investment for someone on the verge of retirement with a senior mom likely to move in with me soon. i need a reliable SUV to fit all my pets and paddling/biking gear. the 4Runner is roomier with about the same level of tech as my Jeeps are pretty unstoppable in snow but the Jeep has winter rated tires. the Grand is also quieter with more comfortable seats. the 4Runner seats literally hurt after an hour. so that is not helping me adjust.
i will do a goodbye ritual as you suggest. will def add memories to the glove compartment. and will have some quiet moments to let it go. but i SWEAR there is a bit of a soul in it.
i will miss it greatly. a little bit of my identity was in Jeeps and i have driven them at least 22 years now. so letting go of that ego aspect is hard too. but its a belief that there is some living energy in it that i have to let go of. and who knows if the next owner will be as kind and considerate.