Lord, please help me to change - Judith Couchman

LORD, PLEAS E HE L P ME T O CHANG East July, I learned abou t ca r maintenance th e har d way . I toCs wasn' t tha t I didn't kno w anything abou t cars . Or tha t Ididn't kno w anything about my car. After all, I've driven m y For dEscort for ten year s and intimatel y kno w ever y snort and chortl eshe throw s a t the road . We'v e survive d man y trip s and tune-up stogether. I n fact , m y car ha s stuc k b y me longe r tha n som efriendships, most commitments, an d al l of m y jobs.We've grow n attache d t o eac h other . I put u p wit h he rquirks an d sh e forgives mine. S o when friend s jab m e wit h ca rjokes, I shrug the m off . The long-sufferin g "E" has been goo d t ome. I won't betra y an automobil e that' s blessed m e wit h year s o fno car payments and moderat e repairs .Besides, m y brother-in-law onc e kep t a car running fo rtwenty-five years. H e probabl y se t a record fo r people who don' tdeal i n antiques , an d when I think o f that ol d statio n wagon , th eEscort's dents don't loo k s o bad.But le t m e clarify . M y brother-in-law kep t tha t automobil egoing because he's frugal. That's hardly a description o f me. I keeppushing th e Escort' s endurance s o I can bu y furniture for m yhouse. Despit e our different motivations, the inspiration o f Larry' sold ca r help s "E " escape th e use d ca r lots . And she' s probabl ygrateful for that. It's tough breakin g up a long-term relationship .That's why , among othe r reasons , thi s summer's episod efelt so traumatic .In retrospect, I recognize tha t "E " had bee n sendin g signal sto m e abou t a n ailmen t fo r severa l months . I ignored the mbecause the symptoms didn't see m significan t enough an d I didn'twant t o spend th e money—a t leas t no t o n ca r repairs . (I n m ydefense, I must sa y that th e car's red "Engine " light never turne don, but that's still no excuse for denying her increasing pleas. )Finally, when sh e coul d stan d i t no longer , "E " cracked he rengine an d wit h smok e billowin g fro m under th e hood , sh estranded u s on th e highwa y and racke d u p a n $1,80 0 repair bill .Her radiato r flui d had draine d out— a simple and relativel y inex -pensive repair i f I'd heede d he r warnings .sits in th e drivewa y thi s morning, conten t wit h ne w valve sand apologeti c tha t sh e lef t me for three week s and cos t s omuch money ..:98