Growing Old-Keep the Jeep or Not?

Problems of Becoming a Senior

My husband always took care of our cars.  It's not that he did the maintenance himself but he took them to the MVA for safety inspection, dropped them off at the mechanics, put air in the tires....normal routine things required for owning a car.

First we begin with the tires. 

One year after husband died I decided to take my Jeep (indeed, my next seniority complaint is decisions and a big decision I had to make was whether to keep the Jeep) to the mechanic and four brand new tires put on.

I had no idea how long those tires had been on the Jeep but I do recall husband saying that soon I will have to replace them.  I don't know what that mechanic did but it's been three years now and I have had problems with that Jeep and those tires the whole time.

Mostly because they kept losing air.

Around that time I became terrified of tires with low air, low air tire lights kept me up at night.  One time one of the tires went completely flat, out in the garage no less.  I purchased two things that put air in your tire in your driveway but didn't know how to use it. Sometimes I would go into a gas station and offer someone money to put air in my tires.

Last week, first chill of winter, the low tire pressure light comes on.  And while I can drive around with low tire air pressure, recall that one tire did go flat.  I have totally replaced two of those tires as I write this but now I fight with yet another tire that goes flat when cold weather comes upon.

THIS time the Jeep is due for inspection at the Delaware Motor Vehicles because the gubmint owns us and must check our windshield washers and brake lights.  Charging us $40 a year for their service.  I could not have that low tire air pressure light on when I have the Jeep inspected.  If you have any kind of engine light on in your dashboard you shall be arrested, thrown in jail, possibly be given the death penalty.

I worried for endless nights.  Should I take the Jeep to Mr. Tire and replace to get that light off?  Should I just get air in the thing and hope I make it to the MVA before it comes on again.  I didn't have the luxury of time to get that low tire pressure light out before time would be up to get the Jeep inspected and a registration renewal.

Finally I got a local mechanic to check everything out on the Jeep to pass inspection and put air in the damn tire.

IT PASSED INSPECTION!!!!

I won't go to jail.  I will not be put to death.

My husband used to take care of this.  I never appreciated it as much as I should have.
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Decisions Terrify Me

I was a happening liberated woman before seniority came upon me.  I could bring home the bacon, fry it up in a pan, and make him feel like a man.....something like that.

I was widowed with a 3 year old when I was 30.  I had a couple of stupid marriages before finally meeting last husband who I was married and living with for 23 years.

I would buy a Renault LeCar or VW Rabbit without giving it a second thought.  I changed jobs when annoyed and found another within a week.  I dated plenty of guys what with early widowhood and two spans between divorces.

I don't ever remember being so anxious about every little decision.

For when I was young life was filled with endless decisions.  Where to work?  Who to date?  Sleep with him or not?  Move away?

Nowadays whether or not to fix the garage door has weighed on me for several months.

I worry about what time to get up even though I am retired and don't need to get to work.  I worry about whether to lock the front door or not for a short trip to the grocery.  I worry if the pets have enough water, is granddaughter going to pass this year.

I worry about things I probably can do little about, frankly.

But yet I do make decisions when required.  I am doing okay.

I decided to keep the Jeep.
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Crime is not normally funny. These short stories are.