Have You Ever Felt Like a Used Car?
Do you remember driving your brand new car off the lot? It was all clean and shiny with that new car smell. Awesome, right?
I kinda remember, but it has been a while for me. Now, as I walk to my car, I notice it has not been washed recently, has a few scratches and has lost much of that sexy newness that it once had.
Oh it still drives well, although on cold mornings it takes a few cranks for it to start. And the little squeaks and rattles seem to yell out “why are we doing this? It was much warmer and more comfortable in the garage.”
Do you ever feel like a used car? I did.
Do you remember my two night hospital stay back in February? I wrote about it in the blog titled I thought I Was Gonna Die. Check it out if you need a memory refresh. It’s ok, I can wait.
I followed up with a couple of tests just to make sure everything was ok. Good news- it is, well kinda.
However, as the doctors were “poking around under the hood,” they found a couple of things that were less than perfect. Signs of a few extra miles, things have changed since I was “driven off the lot”. I didn’t love it. Go figure, I have some signs of wear and tear.
This bothered me for a while - the fact that I am not new any more. Many of my friends have replaced parts and I am still running on all original equipment. So, of course, some of my parts are gonna show some signs of wear.
According to auto mechanics, the most common problems are caused by ignoring scheduled maintenance and not paying attention to signs of wear before they become bigger issues. I think doctors would agree.
Here’s the good news. I always like good news. No matter what part is warn, the advice is almost always the same (as a starting point), unlike the extra charges from the mechanic.
Live healthy: Good sleep, nutrition, exercise and avoid unhealthy habits. Check
Take your meds as prescribed. Check
Monitor your health and take action as needed. Check
See your mechanic, and doctor on a regular basis. Check
Things would be so much easier with a check engine light (I am talking about our health now.) How cool would that be?
My car is getting close to 200,000 miles which is old by car standards - very used. I am fine with a few rattles and squeaks as it is just a reminder that I am still alive. If I take care of it, I think I have many more miles on this journey.
Maybe someday I (and my car) won’t be considered old, we will be vintage. In the meantime we will just keep on driving.
Enjoy your day (ride),
Just a little extra-
I couldn’t leave this giant car/life metaphor without a little motivational music from Rascal Flatts and his hit from the 2006 film Cars. The song was originally recorded in 1991 by Tom Cochrane-
Life is A Highway. Let’s go!
There ain’t no load that I can’t hold
The roads are rough, this I know
I’ll be there when the light comes in
Tell ‘em we’re survivors.
Life is a highway
I wanna ride it all night long
If you’re goin my way
I wanna drive it all night long
(woo, yeah)
Enjoy your journey!
References
Life