Thursday, August 24, 2006

If shoes can change your image . . .

A few weeks ago, I was thinking about how shoes can say volumes about you. I also thought about how changing shoes can change your self image and change your perceived self in the eyes of others.

Now, I wonder . . . What about your car? Does your car speak volumes? I think so. But what?
I, now, drive a forest green mini van (so, so not me). The green is alright, though a bit dark. The size feels too large, but I appreciated the ease of strapping children in car seats through the side doors. I also like the volume of stuff we can carry when we travel. But, I never felt like the car was mine. The junk heap on the front seat is mine, but the car never seemed to be. Funny, the car before this one was a mini-van, too - a smaller mini-van. That car seemed a better fit, though I cannot say why.

My husband bought me a new car yesterday while away on business. It is the car I have wanted for a while, but was unable to find in Mississippi, Alabama, and Louisiana. Unfortunately, the car he found and bought is one of my least favorite car colors - bright yellow. I wonder if a bright yellow car will transform me into a perky, busy body? Will I be happy all the time? Will driving into the parking lot looking like a sun make others happy or will it annoy them to think of me being so happy all the time? What statement does a yellow car make?

I will have time to think about all of these things since I will have to fly to Chicago to get the car and then drive 700+ miles home.

7 comments:

Frankie said...

Congrats on the new car!

I'm not a yellow person, but every time I see a bright yellow car I do smile. They are cheerful. They seem safe to me because they are highly visible.

Enjoy!

Jennifer said...

You can make yellow work for you, I know you can. Just avoid the carwash and the brightness will be muted by Mississippi mud in no time flat.

Do we get to know the make & model? Very curious! I think a car can speak volumes, much like shoes, but considering I purchased both of the cars we drive and color had more to do with immediate availability than anything else, I wouldn't place a lot of importance on color.

I like a white car. White has the highest safety rating. Ours are not white :-)

Wisteria said...

Hey Frankie, I missed you.

The car is one of the last diesel VW Beetles. The plans are to make bio-diesel out of the glut of used vegetable oil in the community(there are 2 independent quick stops and one little burger place that fry and fry and fry). We have been talking about it for a while, once we decided to go forward we found out that the diesel VW would be discontinued in the US for the 07 model year so we started scurrying to find a car. Apparently, this is the only diesel Bug in the 9 closest states.

My sister dated a guy in high school who drove an old yellow bug car. There are happy memories of yellow bug cars in my past, but honestly yellow is just not my color.

I don't mind bright. In fact, my favorite car of all time was my bright blue Triumph Spitfire convertible that I had in college. I stayed on the side of the road most of my college life, but I still loved that car.

Wisteria said...

Oh! Zilla, What color are yours?

Angela said...

Alright...my favorite car ever was my college car- my 1972 VW Squareback (like a hippie station wagon) in ...YELLOW! Of course, it also had duct-tape pinstriping (and holding the headlights in!), but it was cool! We got high one weekend and painted it with flower power stuff and Grateful Dead bears. Yes, I am sure I made a statement in that car!

I find that none of my cars are me, because familial and financial limitations have a great deal to do with our car shopping. I tend to like as many types as I do shoes, so I am practical instead. I do have a soft spot for old muscle cars and new BUgs. Way to go! And put a flower in your vase from me!!

Jennifer said...

Bio-diesel! Good for you!

A year and a half ago our two ten year old cars started racking up repair bills (and causing major inconvenience!) One day, Moose announced my Bravada was parked overnight (illegally) in a public park, refusing to start. I'd had it. I was also becoming concerned with the price of fuel, and had been feeling guilty about my pollutionmobile since the day I bought it.

I did a drive-by to make sure the pollutionmobile hadn't been towed. The Mercury wagon started to shimmy and vibrate as I drove past the Bravada. I spent two hours with the sales manager at the Honda dealership, a nice fellow and my former husband's co-worker, so I was allowed the "family discount." No haggling, no financing, just a couple of test drives and one big check. The Accord Hybrid is gray-blue & the Civic is that sort of metallic pewtery color that hides dirt.

I'd like to hear more about the bio-diesel fuel. If I were stopped behind you at a traffic light, would I smell french fries? Very curious.

Wisteria said...

You ought to post a picture of your Dead Mobile. I would like to see that. The financial and familial responsibilities are a bummer. That is why I drove my mama mobile for so long. I didn't want to get a car that made us contort to get the children in and out, babies and young children seem to spill something every 2 seconds so I wanted to wait until they were neater, and my husband had bad luck with a couple of trucks so my turn never arose.

Now, it is my turn, so I chose to go green. Of course, I am going yellow, too. I'll keep ya'll posted on the bio-diesel. I will go stand behind my car once it is running pure bio-diesel and report on odor.