I have been bullied by the charming 3 month old into buying a car. This is it.
After one taxi ride from Eastgate in which child screamed for the longest 15 minutes of my life, I decided it was time....that, and my inclination to leave home moved from 2 to about -10.
It's like a different city with a car; and a different rhythm of life. No longer having to plan around dusk, taxi routes (which fill up quickly at different times of day, which route will let you change taxis in the safest, most convenient place), weather...it makes going out so easy that it's no longer fun!
I'm terrified - of spending all my life moving between malls and gates. Of the way interactions with people asking for money on street corners is bound to change. Of hijackings (I was thrilled that I had discovered a 100% guaranteed way not to be hijacked. I've just given it up...). Of not walking any more. Of raising a child who thinks private car ownership is 'normal'.
But, I'm also very grateful, that at this particular time in my life, I have the choice to have a car. I'm slightly resentful that it's necessary to maintain my independence and live an active life....but, that's where I am right now, and I wasn't getting anywhere pretending it would work to have a kid and not a car. What it has given me is a whole new perspective on the city (more coming up).
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