The Family Car: A Metaphor for Life?

摘要

I shift into gear and take off down the street in my red Jeep. I'm on my way to the dealer to pick up our new car, and as I drive I worry that our two-door, no-power-any-thing, standard-transmission vehicle will break down before we trade it in. Once it was brand new—classic spicy red. The gears slid easily from first to fifth. I feltso in sync, my left foot easing on and off the clutch, my hand on the stick shift. There was an active rhythm to the driving process. Shifting gears gave me a feeling of control. I could imagine I was on country terrain rather than on the way to the supermarket on a busy suburban street.