If you could have any vehicle in the world, what would it be? A Rolls Royce? Lamborghini? If you could pick and choose your vehicle that you could afford, what would it be? BMW? Cadillac? My choice would be the same for both questions – a Jeep.
The first car in my name was my Jeep Liberty I bought four years ago. It was used, but just perfect for me to drive. The way the brake pedal engaged, the height of the seat, the support on my back and my view of the road… it was made for me!
God blessed me with that vehicle when I was going through a rough journey and my ‘liberty’ was more than just my vehicle. It served me well.
When I married and my husband would mention getting me a newer car, (before we bought our ranch) I would tell him that I didn’t want one.
But over the last two years, my Jeep was in and out of the shop. Even though Jason had stopped mentioning getting me a new vehicle (costly new fences at the ranch were our focus) it was clear to us both, that I needed a dependable vehicle to drive and hopefully while my Liberty still ran well, because I wanted to give it to my daughter in-law to drive.
My son Andrew (who helps us with the ranch and lives at the ranch house) is knowledgeable with basic repairs a vehicle may need, so it would be a good second vehicle for him and Stephanie.
While most women may dream of having a Lexus, Mercedes or BMW, the perfect vehicle for me is a Jeep.
After getting stuck in a ditch after a Kentucky snow and sunk to the bottom of a soggy corn field, I knew I should get a 4x4 and the Jeep Wrangler Sport was the perfect choice.
When I test drove one, it was the same as my Liberty regarding the feel of the vehicle. The seat, the gear shift… the only thing that was not so perfect was the rear window view. The back seat head rests were higher and there was a boxed mechanism for the wiper on the back window, but I could still see fine to back up.
Getting to choose my own color, I chose “Mojave Sand” because it would hide pollen (and mud) well. After ordering my Jeep package with everything I wanted on it, Jason and I waited for it to arrive at the dealership and we couldn’t help but noticed how many Jeeps were on the roads in Murray – a long with trucks. This is farm country and most people here will drive a truck or a Jeep.
With all the trails and living near LBL (Land between the Lakes) there are so many things to do in a Jeep! Of course, my selling point to Jason was how it would ‘help me at the ranch’ if I have to take it in the fields. Pul-eease…. he and I both knew it was basically because a Jeep is just cool.
I will be turning 50 in a few months and to have my dream vehicle is a great way to celebrate, but I do not see me ever wanting anything else. And even when this one is ten years old … I want this ‘one and only’ Jeep until it no longer can be fixed.
My Jeep came a week earlier than expected and Jason surprised me one afternoon. I had gotten things in the mail I ordered for it so I was ready except for one last thing… my John Denver CD - I just have to have my Rocky Mountain High if I go exploring in my Jeep. It arrived that day in the mail. Now I was all set!
It was great driving it around town and on a few back roads with the top off and windows down. The doors even come off if I want!
Being married to an insurance agent, I doubt I will do too much ‘off-roading’ with Jason in the Jeep … (I would not purposely raise his anxiety level like that) so I counted on my Army son who has driven all sorts of Jeeps and 4x4’s.
He bought a four-wheeler this year and had already been exploring a place we were told had great horse-riding trails. It was on the bend of our road between our house and the ranch.
On one afternoon when Jason had taken off work early to take his Mama to Nashville to see Barry Manilow, I was at the ranch and Andrew asked me what I was going to do while Jason was gone. “Nothing…” I said, as we both smiled with the same thought. “Wanna take my Jeep off road?” I asked.
My granddaughter Ellie Cheyenne loves adventure too and she wanted to go with us. Andrew already had it in his mind that he would drive, but waited for me to ask. At first I wasn’t thinking about his Army days and I asked, “Do you know how to drive a four wheel drive?” He retorted with a laugh, “A lot more than YOU do!” So I handed him the keys, realizing I had never driven one and needed him to show me before trying any stunts and we headed to the trails.
Andrew had already taken me back there on his four-wheeler so I sort of new what to expect. We had gone up steep hills and down long paths and up by the watershed... but in my Jeep it would be a little different.
He explained that while I had a 4WD Jeep, that unless I added other things on the Jeep needed to do the really hard core off-roading, that I could not do just anything in my Jeep. Andrew showed me pictures from his phone of what some Jeeps will do and how you have to rig them … they were REALLY jacked-up.
As we headed for the first mud puddle that sprayed mud all over my Jeep, I realized I most likely will not want to turn my ‘one and only’ into a redneck toy, but just have as much fun as possible while still keeping it nice to drive.
Ellie Cheyenne was in the back seat giggling each time we drove through mud puddles and I was impressed with how my son maneuvered the Jeep to get the right effect with a huge splash!
Then we came to the steep hill we had ridden the four wheeler up, and I was excited to be going up there! I got my camera ready and Andrew said, “What are you doing?”
I answered, “I’m gonna take a video of us going up the hill…” He laughed at his naïve Mama and told me that we could not go up that hill in my Jeep. It was too narrow and very steep.
We drove through the creek and that was when Andrew showed me how the 4WD gear mechanism worked. As we drove across the water, he first explained about the distributer cap and what I could do and what I shouldn’t do in water and when we got to the other side, he took his foot off the pedals and said, “Now look … I am not touching the pedals… but your Jeep is pulling us out.”
He explained 4WL (low) and 4WH (high) … it was easy to comprehend because I had already gotten used to driving my tractor with the high and low gears. I watched my Jeep creep up the creek bank very slowly like a crocodile sneaking up on its prey.
It was good to have my son teach me about the 4WD gear as we used it rather than me looking it up in the manual. Andrew drove faster as we went around curves and paths and then we came to the watershed where there was a very high bank. He said we could not cross it all the way because the other end had a path too narrow for my Jeep, but he wanted me to see it climb the hill and he liked the view at the top of this long, green mound high up above the water.
We crept up the hill and once on top, we drove to the middle of the long bridge-like bank.
On one side was an enormous corn field and on the other side was a large body of water reflecting the sunlight and the trees.
Andrew took a deep breath and said, “Dontcha’ just love how quiet it is here?”
Yes, but what I loved even more is that my adrenaline-imbued son appreciated the peacefulness of nature like his Mama. After living in the city and serving a tour in Iraq, Andrew has learned to cherish quiet, peaceful moments here in the country.
I will cherish that memory.
Having my son teach me how to use my 4WD and enjoying the thrill of riding up and down hills, splashing through puddles and streams and grinding in mud was a blast! Hearing my five-year-old granddaughter giggle the whole way was also priceless.
We headed back and drove through an enormous puddle that came over the Jeep like a title wave giving us a grand finale.
And after we came out to the bend in the road between our houses, Andrew stopped and looked out ahead and in all seriousness, he said…
Okay, I just can’t repeat what he said because it was a total ‘soldier thing’ to say, but it had to do with breaking in my new Jeep which was now covered in mud.
The look on his face was a cross between my little boy having played with a really cool toy and the man he is now who was proud that he could show his Mama a thing or two. We both had such a great time as it was my first off-roading experience and…. next time I’m gonna drive!
jen@jenjeffrey.com