Daily Post Project

So I have been following the Daily Prompt, though I seldom, if ever, post about it–mostly because I admit I don’t really understand ping-backs, but today’s topic seemed interesting, so we’re going to give this a try…

The question is: have you ever named an inanimate object? (Your car? Your laptop? The volleyball that kept you company while you were stranded in the ocean?) Share the story of at least one object with which you’re on a first-name basis.

My now-grown, recently-married son was in junior-high when I bought my first-almost-new car. We had always had junkers prior to this–whatever little bit I could scrape up/save and buy some beastie or gremlin. Or, if we were in a big-enough city, we used public transportation. A LOT. However, my son was becoming quite the athlete on several different teams going into high school. Despite  living in a city with excellent public transportation, I was going to miss a lot of away soccer, hockey and lacrosse games if we didn’t have a car. I bit the bullet and got a car loan. I bought a 2001 Chevy Malibu, neon white (which I could never find in a parking lot, btw). I was so proud to pick my son up from school in that car, the first day! He knew I was working on getting a car, we just weren’t certain exactly when it would be. He was surprised, but not completely. He immediately hopped in the front seat and said, “Mom, this car’s name is Squishy.” “Why?” I asked. “Because these seats are soft, and squishy, and comfortable, and not falling apart like the seats in the Green Beast.” (Yes, our previous car had been named the Green Beast. It died, fortunately, the day after we got back from our first vacation in Bar Harbor, Maine. We rode the bus for a year, after that.) From that point on, for about 8 years, Squishy was affectionately referred to as “Squish”, “Squishy”, “Squish-Squash” and the “Squishmeister.” My son spent many nights coming back from hockey games in Philadelphia, sound asleep in the back seat. I loved that car.