Am I Too Cool For A Mini Van?

I grew up in a normal, middle class family. We weren’t rich but I always had everything I needed. We lived in a nice, colonial-style house with 5 bedrooms and 3 baths. It was a nice house.


Our family cars on the other hand? Not so much.

My parents always seemed to buy cars that were THE most embarrassing. The first was a white Pinto. It was a fun car at first. Until I was old enough to understand the countrywide recall.

Oh, c’mon. You remember! The one that said Pinto’s can catch on fire if hit from behind?

Ooh yeah. Between the ages of 7 and 10, I was terrified to ride in the backseat. Thankfully, my younger sister joined the family and we outgrew that piece of crap.

So, my parents upgraded. To a Cavalier station wagon. Seriously.

And, at first that was a fun car because what kid doesn’t like to ride all the way in the back without any type of restraining device?

Then I realized that a station wagon wasn’t a cool car. And, all of my friends’ families had cool cars. Like sedans.

What isn’t cool about a 4-door sedan?

I endured the embarrassment of the station wagon for years. And then I got my learners permit and, the station wagon was the only car I had to drive.

Any hint of cool that I had as a young, naïve 16 year old was completely sucked out the window.

And, then, as if it couldn’t get any worse. It did. I remember the day with such vivid detail. I had just graduated from high school and was returning from beach week. I got home and no one was there. I waited and waited for hours.

Finally, my mom, dad and sister came walking through the door and they announced they had a surprise outside. Really?! My mind started racing.

I just graduated from high school. What could the surprise be? Could it be a car?!


I eagerly walked outside and my mouth literally dropped.

Sitting in the driveway was a brand new, shiny, bright red…..

Mini van!

Oh, I kid you not! Out with the station wagon and in with the mini van.

From that day forward, I vowed I would never, ever own a mini van. Ev-er. I would always own cool cars that my kids wouldn’t be embarrassed by.

My husband would kid me and ask hypothetical questions like, “What about when we have kids? Will you get one then”?

He wouldn’t even have the complete sentence out of his mouth before I would respond “Hell NO! I will make do with my very cool Ford Escape”.

Fast forward to now. I’m still driving my very cool Ford Escape. And, I still love it. And, it’s working. For the most part.

I drop off and pick up the kids from daycare and this is the area where I struggle the most. In the mornings, I get Kendall out of her car seat first and put her in the driver’s seat while I get Christopher out. It works.

In the afternoons, they have both decided they want to WALK to the car. If I attempt to carry one, they squirm to the point of me almost dropping them. And, if I try to hold their hand, they drop to the ground like they were just shot and refuse to walk.

The daycare parking lot isn’t super busy because it’s exclusive to the daycare but, it’s busy enough. Every day, it’s a test to see how quickly I can get the kids pointed in the direction of the car and actually make it there.

Most days, we make it. And then my go-to move is to put Christopher in the driver’s seat while I get Kendall in her car seat.

We’ve been playing this game for the last 3 months. And then one day, something changed.

I was putting Kendall in her car seat and a mini van pulled up beside us. Nothing new because hello? Mini vans are everywhere.

It was like everything was in slow motion. The mom jumped out and went into the daycare. I was aware of Christopher in the front seat playing with every knob and handle. I was aware of trying to negotiate the car door while straining to maneuver Kendall into her seat.

And, then I saw it. The magic of the mini van.

The mom came bouncing out of the daycare with her 2 kids, hit a button and the side door popped open.

And, her 2 kids ran right into the car! Right into the car, I tell ya!

And! And! She had enough room to actually get in the car to stand in front of the car seat so she could comfortably place her child in the seat without straining her arms, neck and back.

It was a like a dream sequence and I swear the mini van had a halo-ish glow around it.

Honk! Honk! Honnnnnk!

And, just like that, I was brought back to reality by the sound of my son pounding on the car horn.

Oh my God! Was I really just in awe of a (gulp)… mini van?!

I kept the incident silent for weeks and kept telling myself the feeling would pass. But, as I drove around, I found myself longingly watching the mini vans as they passed me on the road. Could it be? Have I reached that point where practicality overrules being cool?

It’s been a few months since all of this happened and I’m still not a mini van owner. The 16 year old in me still has a voice and it’s screaming “You’re still cool! You’re still cool”!