NEW RIDE!


She's not my little deuce coupe, and I won't ask her to do 140 . . . but she's a sweet ride!

I discovered there's nothing like having no vehicle to make me feel that I don't belong to the world at all.

Last week's day-by-day replay for you had a lovely ending when I picked up my new vehicle on Friday.

So far she's been to church, to my usual shopping stores, to the P.O. drop box, and the bank. Last night she took me to see my Ohio daughter who works in a nearby town.

Today--big trip!--we're taking friend Jane to Shipshewana, Indiana, a quilting and craft mecca in the heart of Amish country.

So far, my new baby has no name. Would you like to suggest names for her? Here are her specifications:

     - Chevrolet Equinox, 5 years old
     - Silver
     - AWD, nice CD player, back-up camera (never had one of those)
     - great gas mileage (another luxury for me)
     - more seat positions than I thought possible, and lumbar support
     - and more bells and whistles than I've had time to explore

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While we're on the subject of naming a car, I'll segue into the subject of anthropomorphism. 

Anthropomorphism has been around probably as long as the planet Earth. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, it is "the attribution of human traits, emotions, or intentions to non-human entities."

Do you talk to your computer? Your car? Your refrigerator/television/lawn mower? Your dog/cat/horse/iguana?

Do you treat those non-human entities as if they could answer your questions, respond to your commands (animals will sometimes do this), or explain why they aren't in the mood to do what you're asking of them? (In my experience, computers are about as moody as a 13-year-old with zits.)

You've probably read a number of fiction works that rely on or employ anthropomorphism. Here are some examples I found when I researched the subject:

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1865) by Lewis Carroll
The Adventures of Pinocchio (1883) by Carlo Collodi
The Jungle Book (1894) by Rudyard Kipling

The Tale of Peter Rabbit (1901) and later books by Beatrix Potter
The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame (1908)
Winnie-the-Pooh (1926) and The House at Pooh Corner (1928) by A. A. Milne
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (1950) and the subsequent books in The Chronicles of Narnia series by C. S. Lewis
The Hobbit (1937) and The Lord of the Rings (1954–1955), both by J. R. R. Tolkien

Fiction, fantasy, fairy tale--all employ anthropomorphism.

Also--movies:

The Wizard of Oz
E.T.
The Lion King
Star Wars
Harry Potter and the . . . .

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While you're thinking up great names for the Equinox (my new car, remember?), I'll get out the manual and see if I can ring some of the bells and sound the whistles. Next time we meet, I'll give you an update.