The Ballad of Jolly Jeremiah
More than a pickup truck, he was a friend until the end.
Jolly Jeremiah is a 2011 Dodge Ram 1500, he isn’t a real person, but to me, he is perhaps the most magical machine I’ve ever come across.
He is a no frills, super base, truck.
He came with 21 miles and after throwing on rhino liner, powder coating the steel wheels, painting the bumpers, and installing the tow package the truck sat on the dealer lot for a year. Until I showed up, took him home, and added ceramic tinting.
Since then he’s cross the continental divide twice on trips to Illinois and Colorado. He’s hauled family treasures, heartache, and a lucky cat who found a new home. He’s seen the vast emptiness of this country and its most crowded city streets.
He’s carried dreams, a family on day trips, and has seen ancient trees in national parks.
He was a good truck, and I loved him, but with my kid’s feet hitting the dashboard from the middle seat, it was time to move into something a bit more comfortable. The other reasons as to why I had to depart from Jeremiah were due to the following:
- I wasn’t utilizing the truck to its fullest potential anymore.
- Gas costs suck.
- My commute was predominately local.
- Did I mention how much it cost to keep him fueled up?
The other primary reason for departing from Jeremiah was safety. The truck wasn’t safe for my kid anymore with either her legs getting pinched against the radio or my fist flying into her head when the airbag goes off. Either way, Jolly Jeremiah had to go, because my life had changed and he couldn’t.
That’s the real tragedy here, the fact that he was paid off, had done nothing wrong, and yet I had to remove him from my life. Point is, if I need a truck for the day, I can rent one from Lowes or Home Depot or any number of car rental joints around town. I don’t need a dedicated truck. Do I like one having one? Sure, I loved having a truck, but for the sake of my kid, the environment, and my wallet he had to hit the old dusty trail.
He isn’t my last truck, because when I can afford it, and when they become widely available, I will get an electric pickup.
For the foreseeable future, I will be chronicling my journey with Silent Running, my 2013 Nissan Leaf that I was able to buy from the sale of Jolly Jeremiah. The reasons why I chose the Leaf will become apparent in later pieces, but the main driving force is to show that used electric cars are something that the general public should be showing more interest in than that used Honda Civics.
You will be hearing my tales of sorrow, adventure, and good times with Silent Running in future articles.
