TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND

"Can't spell woman without the man" - Nasser Khan, 2009.

Tonight will be a night etched down in the annals of history for its tremendous importance. Tonight will show the rest of humankind what hard work and persistence can accomplish. Tonight a man became even more of a man. Tonight I drove my 1992 Volvo 940 past the 200,000 mile mark.

It was a little past 7 o'clock when I glanced at the dusty old odometer on my dashboard. I had been anticipating this moment for a week now. It was several days ago when I finally noticed the high mileage. So here I was, driving with my great friend Jon Esteban, 8 miles away from my life goal.

Let me backtrack for a moment. For those that haven't seen my car, its an old bulky Volvo. 17 years old and I think it barely passes smog. The "Check Engine" light is now practically part of the car. The tires screech when I make sharp turns, the front bumper is dangling, the car shakes at red lights, and the air conditioning won't turn off. But, alas, a miracle has occurred and my vehicle has soldiered through to claim its place in automotive hall of fame.

I was on my way to Jon's house to drop him off, but when we saw how close we were to this incredible feat we just could not resist. Eight miles would be easy on Monterey Road. We would drive back and forth until the moment came. Simple. I exited Bernal and made a left on Monterey. I gained an easy three miles in that direction and felt it was time to go back towards Jon's neighborhood for my last five miles. As I made a right on Ford Road, the odometer was getting closer and closer. 2 more miles.

I can't do this. I'm not worthy of doing this. I was getting nervous as the odometer was clicking higher and higher. What if the car breaks down before the 200,000 mile mark? I had been driving all day and the hard work was starting to take its toll on the vehicle. The turns were getting slower and heavier. What if the odometer wasn't made to go that far? My eyes were completely glued to the dashboard. I barely dodged incoming traffic and parked cars. What if I get into an accident before it happens?

I believe it was 7:26 PM when my car made it to 200,000 miles. I also believe I was somewhere around Silverleaf Park. But all that didn't matter. What mattered was that I had done the impossible. I had taken this piece of machinery to its limits--and then pushed it some more.

I would like to thank everyone who was a part of this beautiful day. And to everyone who was not: it's all right. I wish you could have been there to experience it. This is not something that happens everyday. The feeling I had when I watched those five 9's turn to zeros was indescribable. Just indescribable.

It's been a great ride and I look forward to the next 200,000 miles.