Driving Music

When I was a sophomore in high school my family moved to a nicer neighborhood, you know the kind with sidewalks. The year we moved was also the year that I turned 16, passed my drivers test, and my dad bought me my first car. I was so proud of my car even though it was nothing to look at. It was a used teal Geo that was bought from a police auction, so it was either impounded or used in stakeouts (I always thought that was so cool).

It came with only the basics, manual windows, manual door locks, it didn't even have a mirror on the visor, and a tape player. I hadn't seen a tape player since I was a kid, but I went to the thrift store and bought some tapes for a quarter each. I found some real gems: Creedence Clearwater Revival, Blue Oyster Cult, and Sublime.

I never got to hear the Creedence Clearwater Revival or Blue Oyster Cult tapes because I put Sublime's 40 Ounces To Freedom in and it got stuck in the tape player. For two years I drove around and listened to nothing but that tape. Anyone who asked for a ride quickly found out that was my driving music.

That's actually how I my husband and I started dating. I gave him a ride to all the punk shows around town and he would pay for me to get in. It's a good thing we started dating too because my dad once gave me this advice about meeting guys:

"You should be out there (in our new neighborhood) washing your car every weekend. You might meet some guys. Guys like a girl who wants to take care of her car"

Yeah, because that's the kind of guy I want to meet, some bro with balls on his truck, leaning out the window yelling, "yeaaah, wash it good baby!"