You can tell a lot about a person from their car. Take mine for example.

There’s a collection of pictures on the driver’s side visor. One photo is of four people: three women, one man, all with similar facial structures and smiles–a family photo from my sister’s sophomore homecoming. The other pictures are of my best girl friends in various places with various poses, all smiling. On the edge of the visor is a hanging angel charm, a gift from my ex boyfriend’s mother that I’ve considered to be a good luck charm and a ‘keep me safe while driving’ charm. There’s a faded Ed Hardy steering wheel cover and CD case, presents from my younger sister back when I first got my car my senior year. There’s a bright green charging cord for my phone, a
bright pink and white polka dot ribbon tied under the rear view mirror, a miniature stuffed animal pig tucked in the edge of my center console. And at the top of the windshield, a fake rose made from the skin of a softball.

When I look at my car, I love the pictures because they remind me of who and what are important in my life. They remind me that I have a lot to be thankful for, and they represent companionship, friendship, loyalty, and love. The angel charm is for my faith, and my belief in the goodness of people. And also how I believe in karma and luck too, that putting good into the world and believing in good will bring good to you. The Ed Hardy stuff I actually don’t really care for, but it has become a part of my car just because of the memory of my sister, who at age 13, was so proud of her big sissy driving a big girl car and wanted to make it special. The bright green cord and bright pink ribbon are because I like being bright, and because those colors make me happy. The pig is a memory of our family vacation to Florida in December of 2012, a memory of my ex boyfriend bringing that pig to his baseball games, and a reminder that its okay to be a little kid sometimes. The rose is both beauty and strength. It reminds me of who I want to be, a tough athlete but also someone feminine and pretty.

Sometimes I wonder what people think when they look into my car. The outside is total dad/golf car with the tan exterior and tan leather seats. But the ribbon makes it feminine. I wonder when people look in, if they can tell what kind of person I am–someone who’s an athlete, a sister, a friend. Someone who smiles a lot, who believes in angels and fate, who doesn’t want to grow up.

There’s all sorts of things people can put in cars–sound systems, bumper stickers, extra clothes, softball cleats, dream catchers that hang from their rear views. Sometimes a car feels like a little home.

It’s funny how certain things become a reflection of who we are. All I know is that I’ve come to love my dad/golf car with the dent on the right side, hole at the top of the windshield, pink and white polka dot ribbon. It’s a little mismatched, a little bright and juvenile in places, it’s a little cliche and it’s a little spunky. But it’s become an extension of me. And I’m proud of it.