Thursday, January 7, 2010

Jetta People Only

 Writer's Worskhop time at Mama Kat's.

Go on over and check out everyone's stories!
This week, I chose prompt #5 - Write about a heated argument you 
had with your parents (real or fictitious).
 
Prologue
This is a story about a car and one of the biggest arguments I had with my parents...and may I add, one of the most ridiculous.

My parents, mainly my dad, have a habit of buying cars "just because." They are always buying or talking about buying a "new" car. At one point, with four drivers in the house, we had 7 cars. When it comes to cars, my Dad has a plan and a purpose. Did you know some cars cannot be driven on rainy days?...Or even when it is foggy outside? And some cars cannot be driven outside the city limits? Go figure! Anyway, on to the argument...

Jetta People Only
It was 1982, and we had a perfectly fine...in fact beautiful, metallic green Volkswagen Jetta...that I was apparently, completely attached to. One day, my parents "went out"...somewhere. Not sure who was watching my brother and I...we were probably alone and chasing each other around the house with butcher knives (yes, I said butcher knives).


Really, is there any comparison? 
Who couldn't love a metallic green Jetta?

Later that afternoon, they had the audacity to come home with a new car - a 1982 black BMW 320i. It was the nicest, most expensive car my parents had ever purchased and I am sure they were not expecting my reaction...I would not look at the car. I surely did not want to drive in the car. I yelled, I screamed. I had a hissy fit. 

I decided that I had a point to prove. In hysterics, I locked myself in my room...with paper and pens. I made posters, and hung them on my bedroom door and all around my room. They were pure genius...

"Jetta People Only. No BMW People allowed" 
"Only Jetta Lovers Allowed" 
"BMW People Stink"  
"Jetta People Rule"

Not actually our car

My parents tried to talk to me. They tried to come in my room. They tried to lure me in with a ride in the car...on the new leather seats (oh yeah!). I was not having it. There was more screaming and crying. I was mourning our poor Jetta - sacrificed to the BMW People (Yes, I realize how ridiculous this sounds...maybe I should have my Mom guest post to verify the story). Why all the fuss? Why did we need a BMW? Jetta's are fine cars!

As it turns out, we had that car for 10+ years (a record for my family), and I eventually grew to appreciate the beauty of a BMW. Although, it really was not ever much fun for a kid to ride in it...as per my Dad, our instructions when we did ride it in were "Get in. Sit down. Don't touch anything."

Now that I am a parent, I really do not know how or why my parents didn't just smack me...seriously...I was having a complete tantrum over a metallic green Jetta. All they were doing was buying a car - a new, beautiful car. Apparently my parent's are better people than I.

Epilogue
In 1991 I began driving the BMW. Yes, it was almost 10 years old, but the car only had 7,000 miles on it - it fell into the "cannot be driven outside the city limits" category. It was also in perfect condition - my Dad should get the gold medal for car care. I drove it until April of 1992, when, during the LA riots, I decided to go car shopping (hey, everyone was at home, I got lots of attention), and I purchased my first car - on my own - a 1992 red Volkswagen Jetta (they didn't make metallic green anymore). That car was stolen 5 years later.

As for the BMW, it's life was cut short...sadly my mom was driving home and a man made a left turn in front of her. The car was totaled...Mom was OK, probably because the car was so safe. For the record, I have never owned a BMW...we bought a Mercedes.

YES, THIS WAS A REAL ARGUMENT,
IT IS TOO RIDICULOUS NOT TO BE REAL!

37 comments:

  1. This is too funny! Love the metallic green!

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  2. I love that you made signs for your room. That's something I would've done too!

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  3. *Sigh*

    Yes, that was a silly, silly, argument. Thanks for sharing it!

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  4. That is too funny. When I was growing up my mom always drove clunkers; we never had any rules about taking care of the cars. However, when I was about 12, I rode in a BMW with a friend of my mom's and I thought "Holy cr*p, this car is AWESOME." From then on I really wanted a "fancy" car...still waiting though.

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  5. LOL.. Holly Girl, this is CLASSIC. I love it! You have me roaring. You're great. Ohhh and thanks for popping over. You are on my list of people to visit, read and wish a Happy New Year to. I have loved our little connect here in blog land. Thanks for the visit to blackandwhite. If you have a black and white pet. Send me a phot and I'll feature him/her/it on my side bar. It would be a kick. See you soon, take good care and don't work too hard. Your friend and follower, Keri

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  6. That is absolutely hilarious that you were so adamant about it and it completely cracks me up that you later went and bought your own Jetta.

    You are too much!

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  7. Anonymous12:05 PM

    I love these stories, Holly! Wow, 7 cars??? My first car was an old beat up Falcon that my stepdad bought for $400 bucks and fixed it up. It may not have been pretty to look at, but it got me around.

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  8. Laughing! Laughing hard! My son drives an older model BMW 528i. I wonder if he really wants a metallic green Jetta and is just afraid to tell us!

    Thanks for stopping by!

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  9. I can see my oldest daughter doing something like that. I wonder if the "Get in, Sit down and DON'T touch anything would work with my kids? :)

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  10. Love the green car!! This was a great story!!

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  11. My father details his car on a regular (almost daily) basis and if it looks like rain, he doesn't allow my Mom to drive it and what's really messed up is they only lease the car.
    It's the only thing that I would say my father has some serious OCD issues with.

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  12. That is what we have to look forward to Holly. Of course I'm closer to that teenage fit than you are. My 12 year old is convinced she needs a phone. Her jaw literally hit the floor when I told her that she would have to keep up her responsibilities at home (nearly perfectly) for 3 months, and pay for all texting. She is super cheap which is why that last part was a serious dagger to the heart. She kept up her end of the bargain, so it looks like 2 more weeks until the phone. Arrrgh! I didn't think she could do it! Holly:)

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  13. Thank you for stopping by my blog!

    I did the same sort of thing when I was 16 and they were getting rid of the car I learned to drive in lol

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  14. Ha! That should show those BMW people! Good for you. I'm a Mercedes person myself.

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  15. I have to laugh because I threw a fit when my parents got a new car too!

    I guess kids get attached to the cars they have during certain fazes in their lives!

    Cute story!

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  16. It sounds like it was a solo argument...lol! No one else seemed to be mad...anyway in your story!

    Yours in Health,
    Robin

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  17. Hi Holly. Sounds to me like you had a love affair with that Jetta. I had one to with a '65 Pontiac GTO. And mine was green too. At that age, you get attached to your car.

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  18. oh my goodness girl!! Your parents were saints:)

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  19. Funny story! I liked the making signs part!

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  20. very cute, Holly!
    I had a Jetta for a while, too---a navy blue one. Loved that car. But when we found out we were preggo with twins, we had to get rid of it. WOuld not have been nearly big enough for the girls, me, double stroller, car seats, etc. , let alone groceries or another person!!

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  21. Funny story and well written.

    I agree with Robin--it sounds like there was only one participant in the argument and your parents decided to just wait you out (not a bad approach).

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  22. I've always wanted a Jetta, and my mom told me that I would be "on my own" if I ever bought one. She said they broke down all the time and that if I ever needed any help fixing it not to come running to her. Reading your story I mourned for your Jetta.

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  23. Oh my what a character you must have been! Props to your parents for not throwing you out to the curb. Haha. This was a great story. Thanks for sharing.

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  24. Anonymous1:52 AM

    LOL - Hilarious! There was a bright yellow jetta in my family...argh, the memories!

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  25. Aloha,
    Mahalo for stopping by,
    great fun reading your blog, I'll be by again soon
    New Year Wishes from across the sea
    Brandi

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  26. Very cute story. I don't blame you though, sure you overreacted but I remember a lot of times when I was young and something was so dear to me for whatever reason and then it would just, one day, be gone, gone, gone because of a parental decision. Sure that's how life works and you get it when you're older but when you're young it can be quite sad! Funny story and props to your Dad for taking such great care of his equipment!

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  27. Ha ha! Funny story. I'm sorry your car got stolen. That's uber sucky.

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  28. Great story. Thanks for sharing!

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  29. You know, as someone who has been "forced" to drive her dad's BMW and has also rented a Jetta for a week... I can say I'm slightly on your side on this one. Jettas are great. ;)

    Your parents must have been very strong people to not just ground you or throw you out for that one. My parents totally would have, haha.

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  30. That behavior would not have been appreciated at my parent's house.

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  31. This was fun. It is hard to believe what we will fight about. German made cars are great for safety. I'd love one myself, but could only afford the Hondas, also known for safety.

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  32. Wow, and here I thought I was the only one in the world with a car-obsessed/challenged family. To this day many of my conversations with my father are about getting one car to one place and another to a different place. He is one man with four cars and he still borrows my husband's truck from time to time. That and my first car was 1984 red Jetta. Second car? A metallic green BMW. Coincidence, I think not.

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  33. Wow, and here I thought I was the only one in the world with a car-obsessed/challenged family. To this day many of my conversations with my father are about getting one car to one place and another to a different place. He is one man with four cars and he still borrows my husband's truck from time to time. That and my first car was 1984 red Jetta. Second car? A metallic green BMW. Coincidence, I think not.

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  34. Wow, and here I thought I was the only one in the world with a car-obsessed/challenged family. To this day many of my conversations with my father are about getting one car to one place and another to a different place. He is one man with four cars and he still borrows my husband's truck from time to time. That and my first car was 1984 red Jetta. Second car? A metallic green BMW. Coincidence, I think not.

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  35. Wow, and here I thought I was the only one in the world with a car-obsessed/challenged family. To this day many of my conversations with my father are about getting one car to one place and another to a different place. He is one man with four cars and he still borrows my husband's truck from time to time. That and my first car was 1984 red Jetta. Second car? A metallic green BMW. Coincidence, I think not.

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