Jeep Girl?

Charles and Zoe took the day off yesterday. Since we just have one car seat, I drove our Jeep Wrangler to work, leaving the mom-mobile, a Toyota Rav4, at home with Charles.

I ran some errands on my lunch break, and as I was pulling into the parking lot I passed a few co-workers, out for a lunchtime lap. I waved, but only one of them saw me and waved back.

An hour or so later, he appeared in my cube.

"So, could you see my brain working when you waved at me?"

"Huh?" I said, confused. And then I got it.

"Oh, you didn't recognize me."

I was unconcerned...at first. I was wearing dark sunglasses and my normally curly, stick-out-everywhere hair was straight and in a ponytail. No wonder he didn't recognize me.

But then he continued, apologetically. "Yeah, it was the glasses. And I just didn't have you pegged for a Jeep person."

Whoa. Back the heck up. I'm not a...Jeep Person?

Oh my goodness, I am SUCH a Jeep Girl! Perpetually a teenager, always wanting to go to the beach instead of work, based on my self-image there's no better car for me to ever drive!

But then I realized. My coworkers only know grown-up Leah. They know I'm a goofball, sure, but they also know I'm a mom. My desk is littered with mom-paraphernalia - photos of Zoe at various ages, a plant she bought me for my birthday this year, a drawing or two. They knew me when I was big and pregnant, and I guess it's hard to consider someone you've seen waddling around the office as a fun kind of girl. And only fun kind of girls drive Jeeps.

And also, to be fair, for a while, I was not a fun girl. For a while, after Zoe was born and I was well within the clutches of postpartum depression (which I kept as secret as possible of course), I almost forgot how to smile. I was tired and I felt old. I was on auto-pilot, not in four-wheel drive.

But now, again, I am a Jeep Girl, darnit! I love to be outside, to play with my dog, to run and swim and be crazy. I can drive a stick. I love to eat great food and drink red wine. I saw The Smashing Pumpkins last month and will see The Black Crowes in September. I love to travel and think about all the adventures Charles, Zoe and I have ahead of us. I love to tickle Zoe until she shrieks with laughter, and I love to laugh along with her.

I can be a mom and a Jeep Girl, I swear. It's just my *other* car that's a Toyota.