A New Car and Adulting

I went and picked up my new car today. There are obvious reasons for getting a car in the US if you can afford one. Except in a handful of large cities like NYC, Boston or San Francisco, one’s quality of life is severely curtailed without one. But, one of my reasons is that I am turning 40 this year, and it felt like something I need to do before that happens. The traditional trappings of success—well-paying job, home, car, wife and kids—have never been a draw for me, and I am fine with the fact that I have not hit any of these markers. But, a couple of months ago, I suddenly started feeling like navigating the process of buying a car and owning a car would be good for not just for the quality of my life but also for my self-confidence. I remember years ago in Holland when I was sitting at a dinner table with my housemates. Everyone else was talking about what pets they had as a kid, and when someone asked me, I told them I never had any pets. “Then what did you take care of?”. That is when I realised that children are encouraged to have pets—ranging from dogs to something as low maintenance as a hamster—to teach them to be responsible. This is a trite example, but I feel like owning a car would be the grown-up version of owning a hamster. I have lived in three different countries other than the one I grew up in and I set myself up without knowing anyone locally in two of them. But, I still feel like I need this adulting experience. The process of buying a  car and all the hassles that come with it can be tedious especially if you don’t have a partner to accompany you in the process (or hinder you, who can tell?). And, in a world engulfed in flames it is easy to fall into fatalism and lament about the pointlessness of earthly pursuits. But, long-term singletons owe it to themselves to not let the absence of a partner stop them from living a full life.

I am not a natural at driving, just like I am not a natural at swimming. I am taking my time getting used to the speeds, the rules and driving on the other side of the road. Things that didn’t used to bother me while driving in India, such as staying at the center of the lane, have been an issue. And, I suck at any manouvere that involves reversing the car. But a least I have my own car, which I have fully insured, so I don’t have to worry about wrecking someone else’s car.