Everyone loved their first car. No matter how beat up or broken down, it was a taste of freedom and you loved it. Even though it lasted only for a brief time, that emotional connection is an experience that unites us all. Check out my custom illustrated story, you can submit one too at www.firstcarstory.com and bring your story to life with animation and music and share it with your friends.

Technically, my very first car was actually a Suburu Hatchback, but it was in my first husband’s name and I never actually got to drive it on my own because I didn’t get around to getting a license until I was 23. The cars that we owned in Japan were all in my second husband’s name, and although I got to drive them occasionally, they were more his too. The first car that I had in my own name was a cute little greenish blue sedan. I only owned it for about two months before it was totaled. Here is the harrowing (that may be reaching, but it was harrowing to me!) tale of the destruction of my first car.

It was a dark and stormy night. No, really, it was! That’s important to the story. My then-husband and our good friend took a ride down to the store less than two miles from my house. It was my little brother’s 21st birthday, which meant we were preparing for a night out to celebrate (and let me just say, my little brother knew how to bring in his 21st!). I was getting ready when I got the phone call. My practically brand new (to me) car was in a horrific accident. Okay, again, I’m prone to theatrics and no one was actually hurt, but considering it ended with my car no longer being my car, it was horrific enough!

It turns out that a relatively new driver decided that she didn’t need to use headlights, even though it was almost pitch-black outside and rainy. Like I said, dark and stormy night. My then-husband looked left, looked right, looked left again and pulled out into what he thought was a deserted street. She came out of nowhere, and there was no way he could have seen her. Like I said, no one was hurt beyond a few bruises, but my car was totaled. I was so livid when I arrived on the scene that the cops forced me to sit in my mom’s car and not move. Again, prone to theatrics and over-reacting, remember? Less than two weeks later, I had my second car in my name. Too bad this isn’t “Your Second Car’ story, because I crashed that one all on my own and it involved a snapping turtle on my passenger seat. Now that’s quite the story!

Disclosure: Compensation was provided via Glam Media.  The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of the advertiser