It all happened so fast that I hardly new it was happening until it was all over.  Today was a normal day, but tonight was a momentous night.  We had shared laughter together, we had shared tears.  We had spent long hours together on the road that is life and we had turned the volume up to eleven and sang our hearts out.  She had carried my son safely and carefully inside her but as I watched her drive off tonight I knew it was all over and I would probably never see her again.

Selling a car can be an emotional thing.  The lovely Sharon and I have always been a little attached to our cars and have even given a few of them names; Rover, Beep Beep, Mic, Minty and Purple to name but a few.  It is all very much a case of unnecessary anthropomorphic tendencies that we are both a little embarrassed to admit.  However, cars have their own characteristics that seem to grow into characters in our minds.  Thinking back, we remember Rover with fondness and think of his hilarious antics.  Having problems getting him started for an MOT test is one of them.  When we did get him going we had to keep our foot on the accelerator to stop him conking out during the test.  And he passed.  Rover was the underdog that always seemed to triumph.

My little car, that is no longer mine, was nameless.  We may be older and therefore our anthropomorphic-ness might be fading, but I suspect the presence of the little man may rejuvenate our Disney view of our cars.  Nameless had been with us for a while.  She was purchased on holiday, hundreds of miles from home and in a hurry, when our older car had its timing belt snap, cutting its life cruelly short. Nameless had taken us places in sun, rain and thick snow.  She had travelled to two different countries and was a very reliable sort of character.  Up until tonight, to me she had just been a car for the last couple of weeks.  I saw her and my eyes saw a car but in my mind was wooden floors for the bedrooms and possibly a tow bar for Miles (the latest car).  But, as I sat in her while the new owners were putting the money together I suddenly felt a wave of emotion.  It was unexpected and strangely comforting.  I will miss her even if she will not miss me.