Some traditions need to be broken. You may disagree with me but Thanksgiving is one of them. At least in the sense of how and why the day is celebrated. I mean, do we really believe the Wampanoag people had a three day celebration of feasting on harvested crops while dancing with the English colonists in 1621, or have we been following the US narrative without questioning it? My earliest recollection of decolonizing the elementary school teachings of the first Thanksgiving is from the time my 6th grade class broke into a paper mache food fight on stage during our pageant. Half the class was made up as Pilgrims and the other as Indians . That was during the politcally incorrect 1960's. It also coincided with the birth of the Chicano movement where us children were becoming aware of the untruths we were being fed. We were part of the Reading, Writing and Assimilation generation and many of us were breaking free from the hyphonated identity of Mexican-American. In doing so we beg...
I've done it again. I ran yet another car into the ground. I had this latest tank of a beauty for five years and she has served me well getting me to and from work and a few places in between. This baby had class. Made me feel like a lady behind the wheel. Got it for a steal at $700. Not bad for a 1994 Volvo 960 but with it's age and the low price it came with high mileage and plenty of problems. For the first few years there were the basic repairs expected for a car of that age. The radiator went as did the brakes and water pump. In the last couple years others things started going. The sunroof jammed slightly open, the gas gauge didn't work, head lights worked intermittently, the driver side visor came off in my hand when adjusting it and the final straw was the DING DING DING of the seat belt/open door alert that didn't stop for months on end. Yes, I am insane. I left it like that even though I didn't have a working radio to drown out the sound. I got used to it but anyone who tagged along for a ride went nuts. After spending upwards of a few thousand dollars in repairs I finally blew the transmission. That was it! I knew it was time to say adios to the tank. Off she went to the scrap yard for $300. I don't know when or if I'll get another car. I don't want the headache of buying used but at the same time don't want to buy a brand spanking new auto either. The thought of monthly payments, high registration and insurance makes my stomache turn. Think I'll invest in a monthly Metro TAP card and see how that goes. Of course, I'll be renting cars now and again because I need to hit the streets for my regular drives through the connecting neighborhoods. I think that is the one thing I am going to miss the most...for now.