When my son had just turned 3, I decided to move us from the metropolitan area with a population of around 1.4 million back to the rural area in which I was raised. For a variety of reasons, it was the best choice for my son and I. I was driving a two door Chevrolet Cavalier at the time. Good gas mileage and easy to maneuver in traffic etc. It was a good car. The oil boom was on in full force when we moved back to rural America where my family lives. Farm equipment, semis, oil trucks, pick ups etc. were everywhere on the dirt roads and highways. It took me about five minutes to figure out that the car had to go. Plus my son got car sick and threw up all over the back seat of that car from the day he was born until the day it was sold. I held out for a year because the car was paid for and ran well. Then I went to the nearest good sized town to look at a couple of SUVs. There was a 2012 Ram 1500, short bed, Hemi engine, 20 inch rim, single cab pickup parked at the front of the dealer’s lot. The salesman came out of the office and asked what I was needing. I’m staring at the pickup while telling him that I was there to drive two of the SUVs. He said ok, you go ahead and drive them while I pull that Ram out of the display so you can buy it. You won’t want an SUV after you drive the Ram. I drove and bought the Ram on the spot. Done. And the beauty of it was that my son had to ride in the front seat because there was no backseat. No more car sickness. Perfect! It was a great truck.
A little over a year ago, I decided it was time to buy a vehicle with a backseat to haul my son and his growing list of sport’s buddies around. Again, I tried really hard to convince myself to be a soccer mom and buy an SUV. Meanwhile, I kept looking at the 2019 Ram Rebel with its ridiculous amount of leg room, off road 4×4 package, leather trimmed seats, and an even more powerful Hemi engine than the one I had. I’ve liked the traditional red and black Rebel trim since the Rebel first came out. I only had a couple of payments left on the Ram I was driving. I was being frugal, holding off, trying to be sensible. Then God came down from the heavens and spoke to me. Ok, maybe it wasn’t God. It was the dead 2000lb black cow lying in the middle of my lane at night on K42. A car had come over the hill on the highway a little before me, hit and killed the cow, lost a tire complete with rim, spun around and landed on the side of the road facing oncoming traffic with it’s lights on bright. I hit my brakes because I couldn’t see due to oncoming traffic. I ran over the tire and rim with my right front tire then back on the pavement and immediately over the dead cow. My son and his dad were both with me. I kept my left tires on the pavement, didn’t cross over the lane, and my 20 inch rims gave me the clearance to go right on over that tire and rim on the highway. The pickup behind me high centered on the tire, hit the cow, broadsided the car and went into the pasture. Two other cars also hit that cow and tore their cars up. We drove home. I had about $3000 worth of damage on the front end and steering which the dealer fixed. I got that pickup back looking and driving really well. January 31st, I drove by the dealer and saw the 2019 Granite clear coated Ram Rebel sitting out front. It had the traditional red and black rebel leather trim package on the inside. I drove it home. I won’t give up the Ram steering, power, comfort, and looks for any SUV or car. It’ll never happen. You may keep your piece of crap Prius and your electric vehicle until you can give it the power, comfort, and options that I currently have. You aren’t even close right now.
But this is how it works…… It’s a sporty off road 4×4 pickup with a ton of power. Since January 31st, I have met more single men than I have the entire rest of my life. I totally get why middle aged men buy sports cars. It’s the fun of the actual driving experience plus it’s a magnet for meeting people. It does not matter if I have my son with me or if I’m alone. It does not matter if I go to the grocery store, the lumber yard, Walmart, gas station…..whatever…..I meet at least one guy. It’s crazy. There’s something about driving an off road pickup that completely breaks through barriers for men. They want to see the truck, they want to see what woman is driving that truck, and there’s an easy conversation right there. I’ve actually met some really great men of all ages since buying the Rebel. It’s been loads of fun. The best thing is that when a man approaches to talk to you about your truck, it’s a completely different conversation than if he’s meeting you in a traditional place to pick up women such as a bar. There is an actual conversation. It’s a spontaneous conversation. Some of them just want to see the truck. Some of them just want to see who is driving the truck. Most of them want both. If you’re a single woman wanting to meet some great men, go buy a new truck. I recommend the Ram Rebel. Best midlife crises I’ve ever had.
Middle of the Muddy Road 