Reunited and it feels so good. The Peaches and Herb song Reunited has been playing in my mind all week. I am about to get my MINI back after not having it for two and a half weeks. The Cooper, as I call it, and I were in an accident. Side airbags deployed, bent moon roof track, heavily damaged rear suspension – not good.
“Look, at least you’ll still have a mini.”, said the rental car agent. “A mini van.” , he joked. I appreciated his humor. However, I was facing automobile uncertainty and wasn’t quiet sure how the next days or weeks would play out. I kept a good attitude and viewed this ordeal as a minor inconvenience.
MINI owners have a certain connection with their cars and we enjoy being part of the community of MINI owners. A MINI owner without their car naturally generates questions. Where is it? What happened? Plus other MINI owners are now confused. “Why is this guy in a mini van waving to me?” Habit!!
For the first week of being MINI-less, I had to ponder the fact that it might be totaled. Then what? What would I buy? I daydreamed about other makes and models. Played some what-if scenarios. I always came back to a MINI. I couldn’t really see myself in any other make. The Cooper has been a great car and motoring companion. There are more ideas I have planned for it too. More tweaks, maybe some more performance mods, and who knows what else. The Cooper and I have been together for four years. In that four years we’ve auto-crossed, attended track days, spent long holiday weekends together during private mod parties, and have had some great adventures.
As I write this I am eagerly awaiting the call from the repair center. Today is the day it is supposed to be completed, but the airbag light won’t reset. The dealer is working to resolve. How will it look? How will it smell? How big will my smile be as we roll away? These are the thoughts that occupy my mind this day. You see, a MINI is me. However, the MINI doesn’t define me and I don’t define the MINI. Rather, we compliment one another.
As the lyrics go, “There’s one perfect fit. And, sugar, this one is it”. Me and a MINI we’ll be united for a quite a while.