21-8-23
There I was, silver haired and clad in batik pants going ga-ga over the jeep when its owner and his dad spotted me.
When the young man learnt that this was my first time seeing a jeep in camouflage upclose, he opened one of its door enthusiastically to invite me in.
“Thank you! But this is too high for me,” I explained.
Looking a tad apologetic for not noticing my physical challenge he quickly added, “Yes, even I find it hard to get in at times. Come, let me take your pictures with it!”
His jeep would be 20 years old next year and due for scraping. He has taken care of it for 17 years.
There was a solemnity in his voice as he spoke of how he had one year left with his jeep before it would be sent away.
“You’re gonna have some serious separation anxiety when it goes away,” I said as I ran my fingers over the paintwork & decorations of a much loved vehicle.
It may seem strange on the surface how we can get attached to inanimate objects. But some of us who’ve been supported by the very silence of dumb things, will comprehend.
To the owner, the jeep may even be an extension of his personality.
The encounter reminds me not to be glib about telling people to let go of their things, especially of items that have seen their owners through emotionally trying terrains that we know little of.
Lisa Ong 