Does car ownership matter in today’s world? Many would argue not. Thinking about it practically, it might be less important now to own your own transport, due to the easy availability of services such as renting a car, or getting a ride via Uber, etc.

The costs of buying and maintaining a car is also high, especially where I live.

In many ways, there may not be a strong argument for car ownership.

Growing up, travelling around in the family car has been a big part of our routine. I had hitched a lot of rides with my parents, both during school days and when I started working. Especially when I landed jobs that were located far away, or needed to get somewhere on time without having to wake up super early or pay through the nose for a taxi. Ferrying us around was my dad’s way of showing his care and concern, and he rarely said no when we asked for a ride anywhere.

Granted, my family argues a lot during our car rides, and most of the time the rides have been marred by shouting matches or heated arguments that resulted in my dad driving recklessly. Like most things about my family, there are not many occasions that are uneventful and sweet – most occasions would be marred by some sort of disagreement somehow.

Owning a car was also a source of pride for my parents. I remember I bought my own car because I longed for independence from my parents’ controlling ways. My mum forbade me to drive my dad’s car although they encouraged me to get my licence shortly after I graduated. I spent several thousands of dollars on driving and refresher lessons, yet I only got my own car around 10 years after getting my licence. Even then, my mum didn’t really approve of me driving as she claimed that I was a careless driver. Their lack of faith in my abilities hampered my already low confidence, and I was afraid to venture out for longer trips as I did not have a good sense of direction. As such, I sold off my car after only 5 years of getting it, and never looked back.

Yet, as we came around to the idea of losing the freedom to travel anywhere we wanted (as represented by the family car), or the convenience of having transport for shopping trips or running various errands, I realised how much of a role the car played in our family life.

It is sad when we realise that all good things will come to an end someday, but we will have to take it in our stride as we arrive at the end of an era.