You know, I was a real car slob – and not just in my teens and 20s. I honestly don’t know how I ever got past a first date, 
especially if I was driving (hint – one way to avoid this altogether is to make the guy drive). One of my favorite cars, I remember it fondly, was a black Nissan Sentra. It lit up like an airplane cockpit at night. And I had so much stuff in it that you could barely get in the front seat – let alone put your feet anywhere. Between my CD collection (of course the cases were everywhere but I could never find the CD that went with each case), water bottles, junk mail, dry cleaning and used condoms (kidding), the state of my car became a joke among my family and friends. Although it would appear I was the only one who didn’t get it. Honestly, it was embarrassing. And, it sort of made me feel bad about myself, which, when I was in my 20s, I had more than enough to feel bad about already.
Word to the wise: Today, I’m a neat car freak. And the best part of all, I’m never embarrassed to drive. Or meet someone for a date and have him walk me to my car. Of course, what happens after that is anyone’s guess.
Are you a car star or slob? Note: If I’m lucky enough to get a book deal, your comments may be published, “Wise Before 25, 50 Things Young Women Should Know.”
Wise Before 25 
I’ve always been somewhat neat about my car (my workspace, not so much). But I am always amazed when I see a business car, truck or van that looks like a mess. Even if it’s a repair truck, it ought to look like they care at least. Don’t they know what that says about their service, whether it’s accurate or not? That’s bad advertising. Which I guess applies to personal vehicles as well. And possible personal workspaces too. : \
Sadly, I think you’re right. I know I feel better when my workspace is clutter free – although it still remains a challenge. And yes, if your vehicle relates to your business, if it’s a mess, that’s probably not a very good sign about how they conduct business. I remember I had this painter my stepdad referred me to. The main reason? My stepdad said he had the neatest truck he’d ever seen. And the painter, true to his truck, was professional and did a great job 🙂
Car slob here – especially with kids in the picture, not that it is their fault! My car is always somewhere between a mess.and a disaster, especially if I have a recycling project going. But your words of wisdom may inspire me to make a New Year’s Resolution I can keep this year!.
Hi my old friend (and I mean that only figuratively) 🙂 Well, I don’t have kids in the equation, which I think makes it a lot easier. But you know me from way back when and probably remember what a disaster it was taking a ride in my car. I know one thing that kind of clicked for me was this episode of Oprah, of course, about hoarders and they had car hoarders on there. And the advice was to never leave anything in your car – even if it’s something you’ll put back in it the next day. So that’s how I’ve been operating for quite a few years now and while it may be a hassle in the short run, it makes me feel much better in the long run. Wish you were coming down Tues. for our Xmas gathering 😦
I’m a bit of both. The inside is somewhat neat, with just an occasional fast food drinking cup. A clean interior makes my clunker of mine that much nicer and tolerable to drive. My secret is I usually keep my mess in the trunk: shoes, papers, roller blades, car washing equipment, you name it.
Hey Kim, you know before I became a car neat freak, I used to keep my stuff in the trunk, too. Then, when I traded my car in, guess what? I had to schlep all that stuff out of my trunk. And I have to say, today, there is something gratifying whenever I put groceries in my clean trunk – just a feeling of peace. I know it sounds kind of stupid and obsessed maybe, but I really do a like a clean car through and through. Probably because of years of car clutter. Thanks so much for commenting and keep your thoughts coming!
I am a car slob. I didn’t used to be! My cars were always clean and waxed. It drove me nuts to have a cluttered or dirty car. Over the last few years, life has been so crazy busy that I just had to let some things go. The car was one of them. I might have gone a little overboard though.
I think you’ll feel better if your car is clean. I think clutter clutters up my mind. And there’s nothing like the feeling of getting into my car and having it be like brand new, even if it’s almost two years old (ok still fairly new). I heard once that if you do something for 30 days it becomes a habit. So I just took my stuff out of my car every time I got home and it worked. After 30 days, no more stuff in my car and the beat goes on 🙂 Thanks for your comments – I really appreciate them. Have to get over to your blog and comment soon – been crazy with work and the holidays. Promise I will 🙂