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Writer's pictureBen Pechey

VW Beetles & Rubber Gloves



I really like cars!


I’m not sure if you knew that about me. I’ve always loved cars, driving, and everything but maintaining cars! As I figured out my trans identity - non-binary - I moved away from things I perceived to be more masculine - and cars were one of those things.


However, as I have gotten more comfortable in myself I have unified who I am - and a love for cars is part of me. This could be a much longer piece - but isn’t what I wanted to talk to you about! 




Yes, I love cars, but as a self-employed person, I can’t exactly be buying top-of-the-line cars! But I can have a realistic dream car. I have always loved VW Beetles, and don’t have the wherewithal to maintain a vintage one, so a modern one has always been on my list. 


When I got my first royalty invoice from The Book of Non-Binary Joy - I went out and bought my dream car - a modern VW Beetle, well I paid a decent cash deposit, and sold my last Fiat 500 to make up the rest! 


I love this car - and the 18 months of owning it have been a pleasure. It is silly, makes me smile and has an engine that could get a less experienced driver in trouble. She’s a great car, we’re very happy together.


Last week I reversed into a painted wall at about two miles an hour. 



The car was physically fine. The wall was also fine. However, there was an eight-inch cream masonry paint scratch on the back wheel arch. I immediately grabbed the t-cut from the cupboard and went ham on the scratch. T-cut is designed to be a solvent for the paint to blend over scratches, not to get masonry paint of a bright red beetle.


So of course the cream scratch stayed put, and the red of the bumper began to bleed into my cloth. I admitted defeat. Dismayed that I have marked my lovely car. However, after a day of sulking, I moved on, as worse things are happening in the world.


A few days later, I was washing up, and was using a knife to scrape a stubborn stain off something, and I was worried it would take the surface off, so I instead used the textured part of my rubber gloves (see Paula I do follow your nail care sometimes) and removed the mark. This got me thinking.




I headed outside in my cat P.J.s and rubber gloves. I used the textured part of the gloves and got rid of 99% of the paint! I used t-cut to blend the scuff and you can’t tell I ever reversed into a wall! I am always thrilled when my mind provides me with new solutions - when I least expect them. 


I am not sure of the message for this piece - but I share it with you to remind you to love what you love, to let your mind wander, and to find new ways to fix things when you least expect it! There are always different ways to do things!



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