My Jeep and Me Forever!

I know that there is an old expression that says that we are to love people, and like objects. I understand. I do love people, but there are four inanimate objects that I like. They are my trumpet, my portable hard drives, my first racing bike, and my Jeep. Yes, I can't do without these objects because they are a part of me. I can't imagine living life without them.

For this article, I want to focus on my beautiful 1992 Jeep Cherokee Laredo. It is a metallic dark green and is beautiful to me no matter what angle I look at it. When I first saw it, I had a hard time picturing myself driving it. It was my niece's vehicle. One day, after she, my Mom and I went to celebrate a birthday (not mine), my niece asked me to drive us home. So, I did. Once I started the engine and drove us down the highway in order to get home, the vehicle felt nice. It was a roomy and rather very smooth ride. It wasn't what I expected, but it was very nice.

At the time she owned the Jeep, I had a red 1987 Toyota Celica. It was also nice, but it was on its deathbed. A few weeks later, it perished in a very tragic engine fire. Tsk! Tsk! I now had no means of transportation except a city bus and I wasn't about to ride city buses again. No, I needed a set of wheels of my own.

Enter my beautiful Jeep.

When my Celica departed this life, I had to make a decision right then and there. What should I do? I needed to find a daily ride immediately or prepare to ride city buses for the rest of my life. The answer was sitting in our driveway. My niece chucked the Jeep for (ironically) a Toyota Corolla. She left the jeep in the driveway as a sign that she would never, ever drive it again. That wonderful Jeep cried out to me.

"Maurice, please drive me. I can bring you so much fun and enjoyment."

Who am I to ignore a Jeep crying out in distress? Since the Jeep was registered in my name, I decided to drive it around for a few days in order to get used to it. I drove it down a few streets. Not bad. Very comfortable. It handled the corners nicely and braked very well, even better than most of the cars I owned. When I accelerated in order to feel its strength and power, it did not disappoint me either. It kept up with even the best V-8 engines out there. Fuel-wise, it kept to some very respectable numbers. Like my previous four cylinder vehicles, I was only stopping for gas just once a week. No complaints from me. I felt that my new automotive friend deserved only the finest fuel, Exxon 93 octane, and just synthetic oil.

I was rolling with it for just one year when its engine started making strange noises. I took it to my mechanic. He diagnosed it as an engine problem. Apparently, the pistons were extremely worn and had to be replaced. It was just December 23, 2009 and I was to start my Christmas vacation the next day. I had a choice. I could either get it fixed OR start getting it towed one day. I chose the former. He had it ready the day before New Year's Eve that same week. When I got it back, I have been happy ever since.

Over the years since I had the engine replaced, I have taken great care of it. In fact, my Jeep and I are celebrating 11 years on the road. It is a double record. It is the longest I have ever driven any car under my ownership. I've kept up with the maintenance and so forth. I even decked it out with special items. I stocked it with a very portable beach chair, a snack emergency pack, a drinking cup and, of course, my radar detector. It is without question, best vehicle I have ever owned bar none.

Am I in love with my Jeep? You betcha. My only regret is that I did not buy it sooner like when it rolled off the assembly line. When I drive around, I look at other Jeeps. Before, I could not figure out why there were so many Jeeps on the road. After owning just this one, I can see why. They are really great vehicles. It is the greatest of all time.

I love my Jeep!