Missing

Missing
1992 Red Honda Civic
Two Door Hatchback
246,000 miles (plus some change)
Instafoam protruding on the sides
Thrush muffler that makes a purring noise while driving

Well if you haven't heard already, I write to share the news of my poor stolen car. I am in Philadelphia right now for a friend's wedding and have been here since Thursday. I got a call from the folks I live with on Friday that my car...well...it was stolen. They couldn't pinpoint the exact time. It was sometime Thursday night or Friday during the day. Since I talked to them, I have gone through a range of emotions. My first response...laughter...of course something like this would happen to me. Weird, strange, unfortunate stuff happens to me all the time. They mostly end up turning into really funny stories somewhere down the road. Now more than 24 hours removed from hearing about it I am a little angry, frustrated and mostly just wondering why people do something like this.

I have lived in major metropolitan areas for almost 12 years. In that entire time, I have never even felt close to being uncomfortable or threatened. I have never had anything stolen from me or approached on the street or anywhere for that matter in a way that left me frightened or scared. Now here I am in Detroit...less than four months after moving here...and my car is stolen. It is really quite ironic or sad or something like that. I am not sure I have expressed on this blog why I chose to move to Detroit but it was a deeply thoughtful move that I took almost two years deciding to do. I really wanted to move closer to home and family. I felt like I was missing too much in the lives of my nieces and nephews. I was missing too many weddings, parties and events that bring people together in important ways. The flights home were too much or I couldn't take the time off. I was too busy...there was always something preventing me from spending too much time at home. I have come to love living in urban environments and really read about what was happening in the city....I felt like it could be my kind of place. It seemed like the perfect balance between distance to family and the urban environment that I enjoy.

I quit my job without any future planned employment. I picked up all my stuff and moved back to MI. I spent some time traveling and in January I spent a week in Detroit. I found a job and a place to live and moved in late April. I uprooted pretty much everything to make the big move home. Now again here I am four months later, struggling to find a place I fit in, in the early pains of making new friends, trying to find meaningful employment and trying to make the most of my new move...and then my car is stolen. I desperately want to feel at home again in MI and in Detroit. I want it to be my city, my home...but this doesn't help. This early on in moving to a place...it makes you want to pick up and leave and cut your losses before they get any bigger...It makes me want to say F*#$ It and move on.

And finding out about this while in Philadelphia...a city I love and deeply miss...makes it even worse. I have a community here. I poured my heart and soul into this city when I lived here. I haven't lived in Philly for almost 2 1/2 years and yet I still have many close friends and find a way to get back here about every 6 months. This weekend I have been visiting friends and catching up. It almost feels like I never left. Strange how that is possible when I have actually been gone for a while now. They of course have all been encouraging while at the same time whispering why don't you move back here...and trust me I am always open to hearing those whispers...especially today.

While frustrating and annoying, having my car stolen isn't the worst thing that could happen to me. I have loving family and friends who will offer me rides and help me get around...until I get a new car or find another way to travel. I have options...and opportunity. It makes me think about people who don't have options when something like this happens to them. Their car is often their livelihood. It is how they get to work to make money and pay the bills. They might not have savings to replace a stolen car or time even to make the police report and follow up accordingly. What is an annoyance and frustration to me, could very well be a huge disaster for them. When I think about my stolen car from this perspective, it suddenly matters less. I am grateful I have supportive family and friends and options.

I am not sure what I am going to do. I would love to rely more on my bike, but it can't get me to Lansing very easily. I feel forced into getting another car but not feeling like I have the money to swing it. Maybe I will get a motorcycle. I am thinking about putting a sign in the yard that reads, "Whoever took my red Honda Civic. It is important to me and I really need it. Please return it. If you do, I will have no hard feelings and won't press charges." I also want a sign that reads, "Whoever the F&$#er is that stole my car, I would like it back," or something mean and terrible with some flare of the Winnebago Man (if you have seen the Winnebago Man...google it).

If you see a red Honda Civic with some instafoam spilling out the sides...feel free to call the cops. Its mine. I seriously think I had a dream last night that I was riding my bicycle down the road on a really rainy day. I was getting soaked and then someone drove by in my car....warm and dry. I found myself pedaling like mad to catch up only to see the car drive off into the distance. Not enough time to call the cops but just enough to know she is still being used. Its quite frustrating. I spent a great deal of money (at least to me) getting the car drivable and ready to pass inspection in DC. She then refused to start. I spent more time and money getting her running again. Most recently, my dad and I had to drill out the sides and fix the many leaks in the siding from rust and replace the muffler because it was rusted out. I can't believe that after more than two years, I finally got her into perfect driving condition and now she is gone. I guess I can take solace in knowing I don't  need to replace the brakes now (that was the next job). My dad and I laughed at first and said...well all my problems with that car are now gone...true enough but again she was driving like a beauty these days. I had dreams of rolling over 250,000 miles with her. What an amazing day that would be!!!

I hesitate even writing about this because I don't want it to be fodder for people to say I told you so...or Detroit is a piece of shit....what do you expect....or variations of that. I especially don't want this to be a reason people use not to come to the city or fear for their own cars or safety. You can park in our driveway....we have a gate. Use the club...had I parked in the driveway and used the club this might not have happened. You live and learn. Despite my frustrations, I am proud to call Detroit home. There have been more than a few days I have been running, biking or driving around and found myself smiling...because I am just happy to be here. With all the crap you hear about the city, there are real moments of beauty. There are amazing people who have been here forever and new people moving in all the time. There are people who care about the city's future and are doing something about it. So my car was stolen. Hopefully they needed it more than me....maybe I will plant a tree in an empty lot with the people who stole my car and not even know it. Wouldn't that be beautiful?

But seriously...if you see my car...call the cops.