Aug. 14, 1997
"So, This Is My Mid-life Crisis,
Eh?"
At the age of 47, I have finally gone off the deep end and experienced the impulsive irrationality
of mid-life (although most who know me would say that irrational impulsivity tends to be the
norm for me). I have purchased a flashy, fast, five-speed stick shift car. Ahhhhhhhhhhh, just
thinking about it sends chills up my spine. This acquisition was made without the approval of my
husband, and I admit that this alone made it a very selfish purchase. You see, only I care to drive
a stick shift in Seattle, a city built on seven hills. My husband, not a lover of cars to begin with,
has NO desire to own or drive one, so this is only my car.
I am surprised at how overwhelming was the urge to buy this car. I KNEW my husband did not want me to get a manual transmission: that was perhaps the only opinion he voiced when I went out looking at used cars. He knew I wanted it for commuting, so I was bound to get a smaller car than in the past, but he really didn't expect me to be so swayed by the powerful draw of a sportier car.
Draw doesn't begin to cover it. I was totally mesmerized by this beauty (a pale gold 1989 Acura Legend L, 2-door coupe). The raw power of the V6 engine and the sensual pleasure of grabbing that gear shift and going through the pattern was enough to convince me instantly that I had to have that car. I really couldn't control myself.
Even after replacing the clutch and having the new one fail instantly (it was replaced at no cost), I have remained in love with my car. I've been taught a better way to handle the more delicate clutch of this particular car (it is not as tough as European clutches) and am quickly learning to use the handbrake on hills (a new sensation for a Midwestern girl who previously only drove stick shifts in Illinois and in the farmlands of a Washington river valley).
I did earnestly apologize to my husband for my selfish act, and I meant it. But I love my little car and the thrills it gives me as I drive it. I guess my mid-life crisis could have been worse. I could have found a Ferrari.