Though it talks to me quite regularly, I rarely listen to my vehicle. Loud music (growing ever more loud to compensate for my ever dwindling hearing), chattering children, podcasts, lectures, audiobooks, and rapping to an audience of one altogether obstruct my ability to listen to what my vehicle tells me. But last night, on the way home from trick-or-treating, the kids cold passed out in their carseats and I turned down the bass-heavy tunes on the radio. My ears adjusted and I heard my vehicle speak.

A windy whistle calling me to adventure here and there. An occassional and seemingly arthritic groan from the suspension system. A squeak, a tap, a scrape – stop. A scraping sound when I brake? Not every time I brake. Every three or four brakes. There. Nope. Nope. Nope. Scraaaaaaappppe. That ain’t right.

That’s my vehicle telling me something I need to hear but don’t want to. Probably something I should have heard many moons ago had I just turned things down a bit and listened. How long has that been happening? How long can I go without having it looked at? How much will it cost to fix?

Should’ve listened more often.