i have a theory about cars. we actually need 5 cars in our garage.

1. commuter car. it’s comfortable, safe. gets you from point a to point b. white or black. generic. gas saving. airbags, boring.

2. minivan. people mover. carries large family and friends. slow moving. comfortable enough. no color. probably grey. but who cares. it’s more practical than elegant.

3. sportscar. sexy. fast. turns on a dime. super fun to drive. screeches to a halt. power. for going out on the town with the lady. red or midnight blue, superclean, valet tickets on windshield.

4. pickup truck. beater. old. dented. can throw all the home improvement stuff in the bed, manure, grass, tree stumps. sweat and shovels. white, what’s not already scratched off.

5. 4-wheeler SUV. for snow, surf. adventure mobile. throw your friends and all your gear in the back. goes everywhere, holds everything. road trips. soda bottles, dirt, sand, salt water. black splattered with mud. bumper stickers from all 50 states and national parks.

what i actually drive: MINI Cooper Countryman. Dark Blue. 4-door. Sports edition.

my wife car: Honda Odessey. Slate.

we cover almost all 5 cars in 2. it’s a compromise for sure.

Marketing says cars are a reflection of ourselves. What do I see in my MINI? I see a fun, sporty, slightly-more-practical-with 4-doors car. I contract out home improvement, people moving, and I don’t go out on the town much. Sure there is millions of marketing dollars to make me come to these conclusions. I get that. but…

Lesson: There are bits of yourself in the stuff that you own.