I’m 16 and I bought myself a Cadillac Escalade for my first car. Her name is Renée, and she is my teenage dream come true.

Whenever people find out that I drive a Caddy, most say something along the lines of, “You didn’t buy that. Your parents bought it for you.”

Every time I hear that boatload of BS, I want to go off.

The thing that makes me most annoyed with that speculation is that those ignorant commentators are completely dismissing and rejecting one of the accomplishments that I am most proud of.

In addition to those doofuses, there are people out there who think that I am “hating” on everybody who does not drive an ideal vehicle.

Really, people?

Most notably, this issue came up in an article I produced in January entitled “What Does Your Car Say About You?” This article was comprised of many different peoples’ opinions, who I interviewed, of what they think a persons’ car says about them. In the second paragraph of this article, I gave a very explicit warning saying that none of the interviews were meant to offend anybody and also that none of the opinions expressed in the article were a reflection of my own. It was just intended to be a fun little article.

Evidently, there were some individuals who failed to read that, automatically coming to the deranged conclusion that I “just seem to hate.” One person in particular, with the username Anonymous left a comment that reads:

“So, pretty much youre dissing everyone’s cars here… so is there any right kinda car? you just seem to hate.”

Oh my darling Anonymous, not only am I afraid that you are dead wrong, but your comment proves to be exceedingly ironic as it is apparent that you are the person who “just seem[s] to hate.”

ANYWAYS💁…

The purpose of this article is to address these inaccurate accusations, and set everybody doubting my Cadillac-buying abilities or my tendency to “hate” straight.

I most certainly can buy myself a Caddy, thank you very much, and if you really want to, you can too.

Listen up my lovely haters, because here’s how I did it:

(Due to the dire sensitivity of certain readers, I want to make this as EXPLICITLY CLEAR as possible- this is not to put down anybody whose parents bought them a car, as this is just my personal choice.)

Extreme Desire: Ever since I was little, I thought my parents were going to buy me a car when I turned 16, and me being me, I wanted my first car to be fabulous. That being said, I told my parents about the extravagant cars I dreamed of driving. (At this time, a HUMMER was number one on my list.) My parents quickly shut down my dreams of them buying me a car and told me that if I wanted a car, no matter what kind it was, I would have to pay for it myself. (They’re very much into pushing independence and self-reliance upon my sisters and me.) That being said, shortly after that discussion, I began a savings account, and I started putting a lot of my money aside.

I Work my Butt Off: If you really need to know the technicalities, I put $2,500 down for a down payment- from my savings- and I pay a total of $400 a month for it. I got a job at a local, independently-owned toy store in Newburyport, and because I don’t play any sports, I am able to work everyday after school. I work anywhere from four to seven days a week, depending on the week. In addition to that, I also babysit, and I occasionally work for my dad, who owns a scrap metal recycling business, washing his trucks.

It is as simple as that. Two steps.

SO…

Did “daddy” buy me my car? Heck no. I’m a strong, independent teenage girl, perfectly capable of working, and I did it myself.

Am I a hater? Absolutely not. If your parents bought you a car, that’s awesome! If you don’t drive a luxury vehicle in high school, and most people don’t, why do I care what you drive? Buying yourself a car, especially a more expensive car, is both a huge commitment and lot of responsibility to take on. This being said, it’s not everybody’s piece of cake, and that is totally understandable- high school is stressful enough, not to mention if you play sports or are involved in a time consuming activity all year long, many not have room in your schedule to get a job and that’s okay. I should definitely add though that while I bought the car myself, my parents do pay for the gas and insurance. So, again, I am not dissing ANYBODY whose parents help them out.

Though it would be nice to have somebody buy me a car, I have found that I have a stronger sense of appreciation and respect for my car since I am paying for it myself.

In conclusion…

I love my mammoth, American-made V8, and, right now, I wouldn’t trade it for the world. If you aren’t satisfied with your car, and sure maybe Escalades aren’t your scene, but you’ve been craving something else- get a job, work your butt off, and buy yourself something that fulfills you. If not, stop your whine-bagging because nobody wants to hear it honey.

P.S: One last thing I need to address while I’m on the topic of Renée- people ask me all the time why I choose to drive such a large vehicle. I know it sounds silly, but little cars absolutely terrify me, and they make me extremely nervous. My dad owning and operating 18 wheelers and my family always owning massive pick-up trucks or big SUVs, I was raised around only large vehicles. I like the safety of such a huge machine and to be honest, I like feeling like one of the big guys on road- it compensates for my 4’11 height.