a passion for trucks

By Jessica B

We all have passions. Some are common and others not so much. One of my passions is trucks. I have liked trucks even since I was little; it is something me and my dad have in common.

Growing up, I always wanted to drive my dad's Chevy Silverado. On the weekend, my Dad would take my sister and I grocery shopping and get McDonald's. Something we always did in the truck was visit the flea market. We also went to Holy Spirit parades and took a family vacation to Disneyland and Universal Studios.

As I got older and was closer to getting my permit, I told my dad his truck was going to be mine. When I got my permit, I learned how to drive my mom's car and the truck at the same time. I like driving the truck more than my mom's car because it's higher, which makes the road easier to see. And I feel strong and powerful being a young girl driving a huge truck.

Last year after Christmas break, the transmission of my dad's truck broke and it was too expensive to fix. We donated the truck to Hope services, an organization that accepts car donations. Then I started looking for another car. A week before I got my driver's license, my parents bought me a new used 2015 Ford F150 truck. My truck was bigger than my dad's old one and taller. My uncle thought that a girl shouldn’t drive a truck and that it was too big for me.

At first, my mom didn’t understand my passion for trucks. She thinks it's for boys and that it's dangerous for someone my age. I've shown her I'm responsible and she's learned to trust and know why I like trucks so much. She has accepted it and doesn't worry as much.

Nowadays, more women drive trucks but there are still some people, mostly men, that stereotype girls driving trucks. Sometimes when I am driving by myself, I see people giving me looks.

Even though there are people and stereotypes that say you shouldn’t do something, I say do it if you love it.

For The Warrior Times, this is Jessica Brasil.