Cars Could we learn to live without them?

When I was a little girl I used to sit on the fender of the car and watch my Uncle Ray fix whatever  problem we were having at the time.  I thought my Uncle Ray was really the best thing ever.  He taught me all the parts of the internal combustion engine when I was 5.  He also used some language I wasn't used to hearing.   I have lost a lot of the knowledge I gained as a little girl of 5, but I never realized how often I would have to tap that bank of knowledge that was left.

My single least favorite thing about being single in my 50's is having to deal with cars and the problems they have.  Automobiles are a status symbol for many people.  For me, they are a way to get from one place to another.  Being a child of the 70's when energy use was a daily concern, I want to have an efficient automobile. I am driving a 1995 Dodge Spirit.  It has 96,000 miles on it. It gets decent gas mileage. Things are starting to fall apart, but the engine is running great.  I no longer have an indicator on the dashboard for which gear I am in, but that is not so bad because anyone with a brain, who has been driving for 36 years knows that the first click is reverse, the second neutral and the third drive.  So as long as I can still count, I am not investing in getting that fixed.  Now the right blinker doesn't blink!  The light comes one, but no blinking.  I am thinking it is a fuse.  But, here is the part I hate,  where does one go to get a blinking light fixed?  Do I take it to the ever trustworthy Hanson Auto, but they charge a flat rate of 70$ and hour for labor.  I also have a small leak in the left rear tire.   Where can I go to get both of those things taken care of?  

These car worries can take up a lot of energy and time.  Time I would rather use reading a book! I took the car to Jiffy Lube to get the oil changed yesterday after work.  The technician said I could use a new air filter,  and he was right!  Don't think that had been changed for awhile and it looked totally wasted!   He seemed amazed that everything else in the engine looked good. I told him, "That's why I hang on to the car"    I don't see any reason to have to go out and pay good money for a car payment when Hero, (that is what Janet named our car) gets us where we need to go.  And dead cars just pile up in junkyards.  

So I am hanging on to Hero, dealing with  all the tedious car care issues and being grateful I have transportation.  But I am keeping my eye out for a guy, who will take care of my car, talk with me about books, movies, theater, is helpful in the kitchen, will mow my lawn, listens when I talk, gives massages, likes to snuggle and is generally pleasant to be around.  At 52 I think my chances of finding him are growing slimmer!