What's In Your Car?

I'll admit it — it seems like I live in my car. I am a mess of a human being, and my vehicle reflects this. I have stuff in there that should have been thrown away long ago. Probably at least ten empty Ollie Pop cans, lots of spare change in the center console along with a seriously overdue parking ticket, and a sweater that became too warm once I'd driven far enough that I will not see again until the semi-annual cleaning out of The Car. My car eats sunglasses and spits them out every winter just in time for the gray to take over the skies again. Crumpled receipts roll around like tumbleweeds. I hit up the farmers market every Saturday, so there are a pile of canvas tote bags with pithy messages like "The Veg Life Chose Me." And while I don't have kids, I do have dogs, so there's also a back seat protector back there along with wipes for the seats and a few chewy toys deposited by overly excited pit bulls. I also have my formerly favorite pair of Doc Martens, which no longer fit me. (Did you know your feet get bigger as you age? 'Cause I certainly do now.) Why are they in my car? Because I have a dream of depositing these UK size 5s on a worthy recipient, perhaps a cute girl at a bar, like some kind of waffle stomper angel. 

It's not all useless garbage in there. There's a book I've been meaning to return to a friend — Our Share Of Night by Mariana Enriquez, it was super good! My infotainment screen is busted (Bosch electronics, what are you going to do) so I also have a little JLR Bluetooth speaker in there for playing tunes on my phone. There's an old cigarette lighter port that I charge my phone and little speaker on and I've got some safety gear in there too. I drive in the Upper Peninsula regularly enough to carry a space blanket, chemical hand warmers and a large flashlight with fresh batteries under the passenger seat in case I get stuck on the Seney Straight some snowy night. There are also some granola bars that are supposed to be there, rather than forgotten — a rare win.

You're probably a much more put together person. I bet everything in your car has a place and a purpose and is not returnable for a ten-cent deposit. So, you well-adjusted driver, what's in your car? Maybe I can be like you one day and aspire to be more than just a mess. I'll round up the best answers later this week.