The “Around the Clock” Issue

Throughout most of my adult life, I drove a succession of “preowned” cars, most of which hadn’t seen a warranty in decades. There was the Suburu that somehow came off its frame, or something equally mysterious and fatal, a few weeks into my ownership. The VW that blew an engine. The Nissan whose timing chain broke as I crossed into two lanes of oncoming traffic. The Corvair that made a mysterious loud hooting noise that was never diagnosed. The Ford Galaxie whose headliner drooped so low I had to wear a hat to keep it out of my eyes. And of course there were assorted other episodes of thrown rods, cracked engine blocks, leaking water pumps, bad wheel bearings, failed inspections, tow trucks and tears. To those of you who have been through it, you know the fear that each turn of the ignition key brings, the relief when you whiteknuckle it home with the needle rising on the temperature gauge. These were the cars I drove to the phone company at midnight to pay the past-due bill, the cars that never left home without a gallon of water in the back seat in case they overheated, the cars that screamed “I’m a single mom with an overdrawn bank account.” Today I have work I love, a job that makes it possible to pay my bills on time, and a car with a warranty–the next best thing to health insurance. I’ve been amazingly lucky, but I never forget the women who have to make hard choices. Who have to miss work if their kids are sick. Who have to choose between new tires for the car or new shoes for the kids. Who are constantly doing Mom Math in their heads: “If I mail a check for the rent on the 1st, will it arrive within the grace period but not too soon to clear before I deposit my paycheck?” March is Women’s History month, and while I revere our famous feminist icons, it’s the women who ride around on bald tires, who rarely get to eat out unless it’s from a drive-through, who live and work without a net who are my heroes. Because not giving up is an around-the-clock job.