GoodBye Goldie – Hello Lissa

~ patwdoyle11

I’ve written in my Retirement Transition book (see link on amazon here) about understanding “what does a house mean to you?” as part of your retirement transition.  So many folks in retirement move houses, whether it is to relocate to someplace they always wanted to live, to downsize space no longer needed, or to reduce house maintenance needs.  So understanding what your home means to you is an important element in this part of the your transition.  

Is your ideal house an entertainment center, a storage facility, a base camp, a museum, your ongoing renovation project, a family bunkhouse, or something else? I know people who fit many of those definitions. Someone’s base camp size and amenities would never fit another’s family bunkhouse requirements!  My ideal house is part sanctuary, part entertainment center, which conflicts with Hubby’s storage facility mentality. [I’ve mostly accepted this conflict as status quo, giving up the entertainment element.]

I think there is a similar concept with cars, as in “what does your car represent to you?”

For some, cars are simply transportation from here to there and so a gas mileage requirement becomes key.  Cars can easily reflect lifestyle needs – from RV-pulling to kid or sports-equipment carrying. To some, a car can be a type of status symbol – from an “I’ve arrived” luxury type to the “I belong to the club” vehicle. As you read various articles in car magazines, cars can reflect a socioeconomic status, if you care about the environment, are cheap with a dollar, have a need to impress, or want to prove you are responsible.

I realized I want a car to reflect a personality I want to be! Looking back on cars I’ve bought over the years, there was my sporty, bright red, manual-drive Honda Prelude. Then for many years I loved driving my sporty, red convertible Miata.  There was also my outdoor-sport focused sage-green Subaru Outback (before they changed the style) and a fun VW Cabrio Convertible (not bought, but stolen from hubby).  I am sensing a theme – sporty (want to be!), outdoor connection, unique colors.  So driving my rose-gold Ford Escape the last few years doesn’t really fit.  It’s such a middle-of-the-road, middle-class, mid-life, midsize SUV.  It’s named Goldie. (Not very original but naming has never been my forte!)

So it’s Good-Bye Goldie and Hello Lissa.

Lissa is an earl-grey (unique color!), 4-door, Jeep Wrangler that will soon have an easy-to-use soft convertible top (woo-hoo!) and running boards (so I can get in and out easier!).  Back to being a sporty wannabee!  And apparently it’s very common to name your Jeep – I’m going to need to learn about the whole Jeep-lifestyle.

Why am I naming it Lissa?  Years ago I worked with a lovely woman named Melissa who drove a Mini-Cooper. I asked her once if she liked driving it and her response, “I look cuter driving it!” I firmly believe I will look cuter (and more sporty) driving my new Jeep.  And so in honor of Melissa, my new Jeep is being called Lissa.  [Hubby pushed for Earl, but that doesn’t sound cute at all!]

Here’s to being cute & sporty in retirement! 

Does your car reflect you, or who you want to be?

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Published by patwdoyle11

Life is a series of transitions and my blog captures my retirement transition journey.

24 thoughts on “GoodBye Goldie – Hello Lissa”

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  4. Yes, yes! This is wonderful. I say that because I feel the same way about the cars I’ve had. They each reflected who I was at that moment in time. Right now I’m still driving my 20 y.o. Honda Accord coupe with a spoiler that I bought because I was feeling light and stylish, a bit flirty. I need a new car badly but have yet to decide what it’ll be– or who I am, I guess.

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    1. Love the way you described the car (and you) – stylish and flirty! I have had a couple of folks comment that my new Jeep is me. Nice to hear. She now has running boards and a quick open soft top… and I’m blaring beach-y music everywhere I drive. FUN!

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  5. Hi Pat, my favorite car was a red Mazda sports car that I drove in my late 20’s. It was a stick shift, which made it fun to drive. Unfortunately, it was also a cop magnet! I was a mini-van mom during my 30’s and 40’s, an SUV lover in my 50’s and 60’s, and I have now returned to a fun car for my late 60’s – a blue BMW convertible. I no longer need to haul stuff, so it fits my new ‘downsized lifestyle.’ Malcolm drives a practical Honda hybrid, so it is a nice offset to his ‘responsible’ car. We have owned everything in the book over the years, but never a Jeep, which we have both always wanted, but never managed to talk ourselves into. Congratulations and many good years with Lissa. I’m sure she’ll serve you well.

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    1. I liked your litany of car transitions. I never did the mini-van, but it’s interesting the similarities! I also had fun driving my stick shift Mazda Miata (red, too!)… but it was in my 30’s (no kids, no mini van) and I must have been lucky – not a cop magnet for me. I’m not sure what will be next… I am sure something will be as I don’t see the Jeep being practical when I’m in my 70’s & 80’s! Maybe by then, there will be a BMW convertible hybrid. But for now, fun and cute and sporty…. and climbing up into it will keep me limber!

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  6. Farm kid here. Vehicles were always a way to get from A to B. As an adult and couple, we buy a decent vehicle and keep it for 15 to 20 years. I just totaled our 2012 Mitsubishi (which was obsolete 🤔), and we got a hybrid Lexus. Now that’s a NICE vehicle, but still, it gets dirty (life on a gravel road) and hauls trees, garbage, bikes, and messy grandkids. Can’t say I have ever named a vehicle, but it seems I am the odd man out here.
    Your Lissa is a nice-looking vehicle.

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    1. Love that name! I actually bought the Ford Escape when I retired…. went “utilitarian” and cost effective… and boring. Took me awhile to realize I do need my car to reflect how I want to see myself. It might change, but right now… sporty & cute is where I want to be.

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  8. Cars have always been a thing for me. Mostly status or beauty symbols for me. I drove several different ones from Hondas (my starter status car) to Jaguars (my favorite status cars – I owned both a XJ8 and XK8) to the sporty and status cars- BMWs. I had the sporty yellow Ford Escape for my “outdoor” stuff. But then I went practical close to retirement and got a little Subaru Impreza 5 door (hatchback as far as I’m concerned). I love how small it is and yet I can put the seats down and “haul” stuff like plants. It’s so practical but I often miss my “pretty” cars. I have to often remind myself that they ones I love , mostly a convertible BMW 4 series , are not at all practical and expensive. Alas, I’ll stick to my Impreza, my cute, reliable, reasonably priced, utilitarian little car. I’ve had two and will probably make it 3 when my lease is up.
    Congratulations on Lissa! She’s gorgeous is in that naturally beautiful girl next door kind of way! We all know her- she always looks gorgeous without make up or her her done and can join in for any game of sports (oh, and good at them) or hiking or just any ole thing. And then she can go to the gala and fit in there as well!

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    1. I love your little Subaru with all the pink detailing! She might be utilitarian, but she’s got sass. Thanks for the description of Lissa….gave me warm tingles.

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  9. My Subaru Forester is black but since I wanted red, I consider it red to me! Red is more my style. Black is predictable, but it was all they had on the lot, and I needed a car]. But the car has been going strong for years so it is a Trooper. I did not name this one though. The prior one was Froggy for its safari-like beige & green leafy swirl interior. I even had a stuffed tapestry frog to match that rode in it!

    Perhaps the next car will be red. But I won’t know until then, which I hope is a long time away. The newer Foresters are built too high for me so that would not be a good choice. Not sure what will but I like Subarus, so I hope they have something to fit me when I am ready. But I want to be able to see over the roof!

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    1. I totally understand … I loved my Subaru Outback but the newer model was huge when I was looking for new…. hence the Ford Escape.

      And as far as too high… hubby is putting running board steps on Lissa. 🙂 Good thing I have no need to see over the roof… but I’m now wondering roof height for parking garages…. something I will look into.

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      1. Another consideration is that if you live in snow country, you have to get that snow off the car’s roof before driving. Hence, why it is a pain not to be able to reach or see over the roof! For me, it is getting all the fallen tree leaves and seed pods off it, so they don’t fall off the roof en masse as I drive off! Or worse, blanket the car being driven behind me!

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  11. Nothing like cute and sporty at any age Pat. And I’m glad you didn’t go for a sportscar and fulfill all the ‘old person in a fast car’ stereotypes. I think Lissa will be fun to drive – and maybe you’ll even get to do a bit of off-road trekking in her.

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  13. Hi Pat, I have enjoyed your blog since retiring from a long term (30+years) health care executive career. Felt compelled to send this as a safety heads up…. Have you purchased your Wrangler Jeep? I had two and found this out with my last one…. Please google “Wrangler Jeep Death Wobble”…. It’s crazy that this has happened and no overall recall…. I had one and finally got rid of it before a disaster. I spent many hours at the local dealership and on the phone with Jeep Corporate. Hopefully yours is not one in the “window”, but just in case I was compelled to send this as a heads up! Best to you.

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    1. Mindy – thanks for the heads up. I did look it up and am glad to be aware of it. Of course, 90% of my driving these days in on roads less than 35 mph! But I will watch for the issue (googled it and watched videos).

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