the return of the shin - altimas prime (part 1 of 3)

The Return of the Shin

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

When an idea pops into my head, my usual blogging routine goes something like this:

I'll jot down some notes either on my laptop or sometimes on my cell phone, spend some time pounding away on a keyboard and walk away from it to uphold a more 'objective' review at a later time (it's the best thing to do without a real editor, a position which Emmelle has jockeyed for on numerous occasions). I'll return to to the material hours or days later, gut it and revamp before finally publishing for public consumption.

It’s really a process in place to serve as a checks-and-balances if you will. Since the inception of this blogging endeavor last year, my greatest fear has always revolved around writing something completely asinine or worse, attempting in vain to be funny. Regrettably, this has prevented me from posting as frequently as I would prefer. Over the last three months, I’ve abandoned several drafts that I spent too much overthinking, eventually losing all interest. I've started, scribbled, erased, tired, and thrown my hands up in frustration repeatedly. I can readily identify these creative dearths as they unfold, but am helpless nonetheless. It's quite vexing. Ultimately, writing became arduous and ideas eventually waned.

I'm trying rather unsuccessfully to explain how difficult it's been to update in over three months. Let's just chalk it up to an involuntary hiatus and now I've come back fully refreshed and inspired.

There were some downright meaningful events that occurred over the last three months. I’ve boiled them down to three events that I'll share over the course of three individual posts. The first occurred in early September:

Altimas Prime

Emmelle and I purchased a new car, a Nissan Altima, to replace her loyal and trusty Honda Civic. I traded in my beer bottle opener key chain for the Nissan smart key that has enough bulk and weight to serve as the key chain itself (appreciate the rich symbolism). Altimas Prime has now been in our lives long enough to escort us across 3,500 miles of Northern California road, and has shortened the San Francisco-San Jose distance that separates us during the weekdays.

Prime was a last minute, but sound, purchasing decision proceeding several weeks of Acura TSX-hunting; luxury can wait a few years. The buying cycle was frustrating and time-consuming although some highlights were sprinkled in throughout the process (e.g., Emmelle’s dad telling a car dear he was “shit” to his chubby face).

I, for one, am extremely pleased with Altimas Prime. Sure, she looks "shiny and new / like a virgin / Hey!", but that's not what tugged at my heart the moment we signed on the dotted line, and the vehicle officially became our property. I couldn't help but think about how this car will steer us through seminal moments of our early years together (a friend also mentioned semenal moments, but I don't even know what that means).

I’ve never felt an emotional connection with a car, but I do now. Prime will transport us to life-changing moments and emotional journeys. It will usher us from today to tomorrow, serving as a conduit for us in the present and us in the future. Five years from now, we’ll complete payment on the car. Over the next five years, I expect the car to carry us to wedding, births and perhaps even tragedy and death.

Altimas Prime will be the ultimate confidante on our car rides – a silently active participant in our intimate conversations, a good-natured companion of our inside jokes, and a comforting seat to catch our most private of tears, both happy and sad.

I'm not trying to appear overly dramatic, but stating that this vehicle is a reflection of where we are and what we are surrounded by in our late twenties/early thirties. One day when it's time to give up (on) the car, I will give it the most sincere bear hug, remembering the moment we brought her home, recounting how Emmelle and my life had gotten better in the years that followed.

Thanks in advance, Altimas Prime.

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