It is no secret that I have been on a quest to find a newer (and new to me) mode of vehicular transportation. Though, I adored my dark green '97 Saturn that I have affectionately named the "green bullet," it was becoming a bit unreliable in its ability to keep running.....I guess that's a good reason to upgrade. :o)The green bullet didn't earn its name until the five year mark. It was an off hand joke when I worked at a junior high mission camp one summer as I talked to a youth group whose 15 passenger van was set to follow me through the blue ridge mountains. I joked with them as I said, "well, I don't know...it may be hard to keep up with the green bullet on all these hills, he's a real speedster."
And so he became the green bullet. Even though he lacks the ability to accelerate. But slow and steady....
Most of the summer, I struggled with the idea of giving up this car...all its metal framework and ripped headliner that I knew so well. It may have been an effect of all the change the past few months had brought...new projects, the loss of my grandfather.... far more emotional than logical.
So I did what any reasonable person with a somewhat unstable car would do. I took the green bullet for one last meandering trip around the state. We moseyed down to Greensburg UMC for a house concert with the ever so awesome Pimlotts, we strolled the backroads to Nashville, IN and spent the night with friends in Bloomington. Most of the weekend was spent outside Indy, in Fishers...planning Lion and Lamb and sharing music at Fishers UMC before heading down to meet the folks at the Wesley Foundation at Purdue.
I have to admit, without an agenda and only needing to travel a few hours at a time, it was a beautiful journey through a much more hilly side of this hoosier land. And it reminded me of so many trips I used to take around Virginia, staying with different friends each night and experiencing new towns and places. Strange to think I have been here long enough to have friends spread around the state....
Somewhere on the road between West Lafayette and Fort Wayne, I let go of the irrational hold my heart had on the green bullet. If I want to be open to where the spirit may be leading... if I want to be able to travel safely without genuine concern, then I need a new car for this new season. The green bullet has far surpassed any expectations I would have placed on him way back in 2003, when the keys were slipped into hand and the adventures began....can't believe that car survived college, Colorado, and made a good run for the past couple of years in Indiana.
Later this week I'll be sharing the story of my new unnamed toyota rav4 friend....let's just say it involved multiple trips out of state, cheap diners, tourist attractions and gummi frogs. Stay tuned.