I spent the first twenty-six years of my life depending on other people for transportation. In the year of 1981, all of that finally changed!
My husband has always enjoyed looking at cars. He is always pointing out this car or that car to me. I guess he just enjoys looking, because he sure doesn’t enjoy buying! He likes to buy a car about every 10 years!
In 1981, Ed was still driving the little gray Toyota. It didn’t have any air conditioning and was getting to be a little small for a family car. I guess he must’ve been looking around and thinking that we needed a bigger car. One day Ed saw a car at a used car dealership in our town that he thought might fit our needs. We ended up buying the 1977 Mercury Monarch. It was silver with burgundy interior and I loved it!
Brett & Brandy & The Monarch
I don’t know what happened to me, but I suddenly got inspired to get a driver’s license. I don’t know if it was because I really loved the car or maybe I was simply tired of being stuck at home. Anyway, I got a driver’s license handbook and began to study. I asked Ed to help me practice driving and learning to park. I can still remember going up town when the stores were closed and practicing parking in the spaces. After about a week of studying and practicing, I went and took my driver’s test. The strangest thing happened when I took the driving test. I told the patrolman to “buckle up” when we got in the car. He said, ”No, I’ve seen too many accidents where the people would’ve been better off if they hadn’t been buckled up!” and he wouldn’t fasten his seatbelt. He commented on my car and I told him that I hadn’t had it long. I thought about telling him that I’d only been driving a week, but I didn’t! I passed my test and I must say that it was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life–a little late, but better late than never!
When I first started driving I used to tell Brandy that she had to be very quiet in the car so I could concentrate on my driving, and she did. That’s funny now that I think about it. Even now, twenty-something years later, I still concentrate on the road…it works for me!
So…just like that, we became a two car family. Ed had his Toyota and I had the Monarch. No more waiting for Ed to take me to the grocery store…no more waiting for Ed to take me anywhere! I finally knew what it felt like to be independent–and it felt good.
