Never ever in my life did I imagine myself behind the wheel
of a minivan. I vowed not to sacrifice my own identity for the sake of my kids by driving a "loser cruiser". To me, driving a minivan
was like giving up, completely letting myself go- I might as well wear mom
jeans with sensible sneakers and cease all efforts at attractiveness.
I was chock full of these self-involved opinions until baby
#3. Still refusing the van, we went for the large SUV to accommodate our
growing posse. Not only did I have a great deal of difficulty maneuvering this
land yacht, it did not even work well with three kids in car seats. I was also
tired of it's gas-guzzling habits and the dirty looks I received from the
self-righteous drivers of smaller gas-sipping vehicles. After a year, I relented.
We bought a base-model (I refused to celebrate this purchase by getting
something fancy), reliable (read: Toyota) minivan. Yes, it has made life
easier. No, I do not “love” it like many of my friends have declared. In fact,
I still feel like a loser driving it. Alas, my fears re: letting myself go did
not come to fruition. I still wouldn’t wear mom jeans if my life depended on
it.
