10,000 miles later
I got my car on December 30, 2020. I remember it had 16 miles on it when I pulled away from the lot. On April 6, 2023, I noticed the odometer read 10,001 miles when I parked the car after running an errand. Yep, it took me over two years to drive 10,000 miles.
I was surprised that I immediately felt embarrassed upon making this realization. I thought if anyone found out how little I drove, they would think I'm uninteresting or don't go anywhere. After all, Kelley Blue Book and a bunch of other "authorities" claim that the average American drives over 12,000 per year. Should I be driving more?
I quickly realized this thought pattern was a mini masterclass in everything I preach against: worrying about what others think, making assumptions, letting insecurities control my thoughts, and falling prey to the "should" mentality. For example:
Who cares how much or how little I drive? I work from home and feel very lucky to do so! I putter around locally. On weekends, I actually walk a lot or when I'm with my family, we take my husband's car simply because he prefers to drive.
Why do I think I'm boring? That actually has zero to do with my odometer. I'm a suburban mom with a full-time job and a business. Not every day is exciting. Many days feel the same and that feels... boring. But I shouldn't take it personally or equate it with my identity. Heck, last month I hiked a volcano. I wouldn't classify that as boring!
"Should I be driving more?" Red flag! There's that awful word: "should." I've previously blogged about "should" being a four letter word and man, is that true. Anytime you use "should," catch yourself and ask: Should I really? Why? Here, recommended mileage is an "average." On further thought, I'm ok with not being average!
Why do I assume that low mileage is "bad"? My low mileage doesn't reflect that most of my time spent driving is to and from kindergarten. It doesn't reflect that the five miles I spend driving home with my son, five days a week, are the most informative and special times in my life. These are the miles that count. After all, it's about quality, not quantity.
So yes, if you look at my car's odometer, I haven't traveled very far in the last two+ years. But life is about the journey, not the destination, right? And I'd like to think I'm on a long journey, including one of personal growth and development. One day -- and one mile -- at a time.
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