My oldest child will soon be of legal driving age, which makes me think back to the time when I got my driver's license.  Of course, I went through all the "behind the wheel" training through my school and lived to tell the tale, even when one of my friends drove the training car up someone's expensively-landscaped lawn before the instructor could hit the brake.  I couldn't wait to get my license, even though it meant that I was going to be given the job of driving my younger sister and brother to school activities.  My mom couldn't wait until I got my license, because it meant that I was going to be doing all the driving that had once fallen to her.  She hated to drive, and still does.

So I inherited Mom's powder-blue 1972 Ford Maverick.  It was ten years old and had definitely seen better days.  It was a wannabe-muscle car, but unlike the cool '72 Mustang you see here, it didn't seem to have very much muscle at all.  It also didn't have a working radio--not like AM radio was anything to shout about anyway.  If I remember correctly, it also didn't have air conditioning, and I learned all about gas mileage because the gas gauge didn't work well.  I had to pay attention to how far I'd gone on that tank of gas--without a trip odometer!

But it was a car, and it got me from here to there.  I spent $5 a week on gas, and that was enough to get me, my sister and her friend to school and back each day, and to my part-time bakery job.

I was not at fault for the dent in the center of the rear bumper; it was like that when I got it.  But dented or not, that car spelled freedom for me during my senior year.

Creature comforts mean a little more to me when I drive these days.  Now I have a mommy-van with satellite radio and heated seats.  It's a great car, but I wouldn't trade in those happy memories of my first wheels--a humble '72 Maverick with no cup holders but with plenty of room for friends.

COUPON TIME

If you're looking for parts for your muscle car, NASCAR memorabilia or a sweet car rental, check out one of these coupons:

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Rental must end by December 19, 2008

15% off any size order at the NASCAR Store
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Valid through: Unknown

Michelin: Free Emergency Roadside Kit
Buy a set of 4 new Michelin passenger or light truck tires and you may be eligible to receive a free emergency roadside kit.  Roadside Kit includes foot pump, emergency cables, first aid kit, rain slicker, & flashlight
Valid through: November 15, 2008, 11:59 pm EST
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