A Sad Day (aka the truck is dead)

Today was a very sad day...

My day started early at 6am, which is typically when I start most weekdays. But, today was different. I was headed to the river, a new river, to enjoy some adventure with a friend. The Nolichucky River is located in Erwin, TN and seemed to be a perfect place to meet my friend Chad for some kayaking action. I left the house and headed to the storage facility to pick up my kayak. The cobwebs in my head were lifting and I was pumped about spending a beautiful weekend in the mountains. Once I arrived at the storage facility, I was unable to unlock the shed. I tried and tried and even beat the lock with a hammer to no avail. The "attendant" arrived 2 hours later to inform me that my lock was broken (thanks for that info) and that I would need to call a locksmith. There was no time. I called Chad, who had driven from Birmingham the day before, to consider backup plans. He had two kayaks with him! I was in luck and decided to head on to Erwin.

About thirty miles from Charleston, I heard my muffler begin to drag on the ground. Many of you may wonder how I knew the noise was coming my muffler. Others of you who have had the priviledge of viewing my beautiful '93 Ranger would understand. I pulled to the side of the highway and preceded to extract the rusted muffler from under my truck. No one really needs a muffler, right? Back on the highway, I preceded to drive as fast as the always present SC State Patrol would tolerate, but not for long. Suddenly, I felt a slight jolt and a sick feeling entered my stomach. My truck was not acting right. Having had the beautiful red truck for more than ten years, I knew her pretty well. Once again I pulled to the side of the highway. As I came to a stop, I noticed smoke coming through the floorboard. Granted, I am by no means a mechanic, but I was pretty certain that this was a bad sign.

Two hours later, after a kind tow (thanks to triple a) and meeting up with my beautiful wife and child, I am delivered the horrible news. Big Red will ride no more... The mechanic very gently and almost tearfully explained that my clutch had failed and that a bunch of other stuff that I don't understand had gone wrong. The bottom line - for big red to make it would cost more than $3000. I love my Ranger, but I love to eat as well. Therefore, today September 16, 2006 will always be remembered as the day I lost my trusty old truck.

I would like to take a few moments to remember Old Red. She always served me well. I have only had a few problems with her over the years, and most will agree that she did not live a pampered life. She required little maintenance and probably received even less. We traveled to the ends of the earth together often carrying boats, bikes, rowdy fraternity brothers, and even huge loads of sod that made her tail almost drag the ground. She never complained. She was so striking, that twice she was broken into by criminals seeking to rob her of her owners possesions. She never let them have much. Never did she ever fail me in a situation where we could not get help, and believe me there were plenty of opportunities. Today was the first, last, and only time she ever needed to be towed. Thank you Big Red for the memories and the adventures. You will always be my first and most loved truck. I pray you rest easy in the great junkyard in the sky.

Obviously, some of this is in jest, but I truly will miss my beautiful '93 Ford Ranger. Today gave me a chance to reflect on the past ten years and all the great experiences I have had. Furthermore, I was reminded how blessed I am to have such a wonderful family. No matter what befalls me, I will always, God willing, have my beautiful and precious family to return home to. Life is a great adventure with many ups and downs, gains and losses. After all the dust has settled, the only thing that is truly meaningful is family, friends, and hope for future adventures.

John Fortney