150,000 Miles!

The odometer on my van rolled past 150,000 miles yesterday. I snapped a pic with my cheap-o phone and texted it to Mr. Four Walls, but I'm having technical difficulties getting it to load to the blog, so you'll just have to take my word for it.

But, wow! How many other people do you know driving an old, 90's mini-van with 150,000 miles on it?

It's funny. 

There was a time in my life, not too many years ago, when I would have told you there would be no way I would ever be driving a vehicle with that sort of mileage.  I would have said that the headache and cost of maintenance on something that old and used wouldn't be worth it.  That there's no way a vehicle like that would be safe enough for my family. That having a regular, predictable car payment is so much better than being nickled and dimed for ongoing maintenance on a beater.

That was then, this is now.

Now I say that I would have said all of those things out of pride. I would have said all those things because I didn't want people to see my family rolling through town in something that makes odd sounds at odd times, has one lock outside that won't work at all, and the others that only sometimes let us in on the first try.  I would have said all those things because I thought it was normal and perfectly okay to live in debt, to never really own all the things we call "ours."

That was then, this is now. 

Since "Goldie," as we affectionately call her, joined the family in November of 2010- already with around 140,000 miles - we have lived car payment free.  We have diligently and deliberately maintained her, mostly ourselves, and spent WAY less than we would have on car payments and maintenance on a younger, hipper vehicle. And we've gotten over ourselves. 

I still have pride, mind you. Now I'm proud of my old "girl" for being so steady for the family before us and now for ours.  I'm proud of myself for not caring how people look at me when I try and try and try to unlock my driver's side door and then have to occasionally resort to crawling in through the back. I'm proud of Mr. Four Walls and me, how we've weathered this long road of financial uncertainty, and are coming through it stronger and more committed to making the journey ahead together, whatever it should hold. 

Goldie won't live forever.  I know we'd be kidding ourselves if we thought she'd be truckin' (vannin'?) along in another 150,000 (but stranger things have happened....).  I'll be tickled pink if she's still going as we ring in the New Year next year.  For now, though, I'll simply take her 150,000 milestone as a great reminder to be thankful for what we have, while we have it.

Thanks, Goldie!