Senior Brad James is well known for his iconic red Jeep Wrangler.

This Jeep was a reminder of his superiority over those in its presence.  It became a part of Brad: it helped define who he was.  Unfortunately, on February 14^th, tragedy struck this inseparable duo.  Brad’s Wrangler was totaled in a wreck on Rapid Run due to black ice.  Brad is now forced to move on without his iconic Jeep, but how will he do it?

Now that the jeep is gone, who is Brad James?  Brad is in the process of discovering who he is moving forward and seems to be handling the incident quite well.

But is he handling it too well?

I was fortunate enough to talk to Brad and get his perspective.  When asked how important the Jeep was to him, he said, “It’s just a car.”  Evidently, Brad is trying to cope with the harsh reality of his wreck.  He continually down-plays gravity of this issue when asked; it’s heartbreaking to see.

Brad will have to spend the next couple months carless.  I went on to ask him about the possibility of becoming a Jeep owner again and it seems unlikely.  His response of “No”seemed firm.  Now whenever a Jeep Wrangler passes by, Brad will forever be reminded of the sick ride he once owned.  It’s an unfortunate reality the Brad will have to relive.

We may never see Brad and the Jeep reunite, but his future is bright.  Brad told his future car situation is “hopefully a car”.  He’s moving towards this goal by working after school and sometimes on weekends to save money.  If he keeps working hard his next car might be as electric as the red Jeep Wrangler.  Now, when February 13^th comes around everyone is encouraged to pause and remember the Wrangler.