I used to have a thing for cars, not just any cars but the muscle cars of the 1960’s and 70’s. The faster the better. Even now, when I see a car on the road from a by-gone era, memories of people I used to know and places that I have been pop into my head. Loud exhaust; no problem, just turn up the radio! That was then; a lot of time has passed and I have yielded to the notion that a vehicle’s primary purpose is to provide transportation that will satisfy the needs of the entire family, not just my self-interests. After a brief tryst with a luxury German automobile, I am now in the practical phase of life. But those cars…

A few nights ago, Lisa and I went to a “metro cruise” organized by a nearby municipality. If you are not familiar with a cruise of this nature, automobile aficionados of all ages clean and polish their best metal and drive up and down a busy thorough fare. Then there are those that park their rides in a vacant parking lot and enjoy the attention of the dreamers like me. It’s not just older muscle cars that are on display, you will find low-riders that hover just a few inches off the ground, 1980’s four-door sedans with big chrome wheels and loud stereos. Then there are the early restoration projects that aren’t quite done yet, but their owners are proud of their projects and want to be a part of the procession of hot rods showing chrome everything, barely street legal dragsters, SUV’s with spinners, the lifted pick-up trucks and even the occasional mini-van.

But the new stuff, now that is something to blog about! Recreations of the muscle cars past; the Shelby Mustang, the Corvette Z06, and the relative newcomer the Challenger Hellcat. Each of them can go 0-60 mph in a little over 3 seconds; a captivating selling point for the 40-something person experiencing a mid-life crisis who is looking to justify his purchase for those quick trips to the grocery store.

I think that this was our third year. We take lawn chairs, sit by the side of the road, grab a burger and some fries from Checkers and watch the cars. I saw about a half-dozen variations of my first car, each of which look better now than mine did then. “Hey, an old Road Runner. I knew…someone…that had one of those”. Seeing some of those old cars bring back memories. But not all memories of these cars are fond ones; AM radios, no air conditioning and exhaust systems that smells like rotten eggs! Braking distances? Let’s just say, don’t plan on stopping on a dime. The cars are pretty cool, but it’s the memories that were conjured up, that is what kept us in our seats. After all, after a few hours, a car is a car.

It’s easy to glorify the past and see only the shining moments but, like that car with the smelly exhaust that was long forgotten, they too are an entry in the narrative of our lives. As for me, I find myself spending lesser and lesser time thinking about what once was. Sure, an old song from the Beach Boys or a pristine 1970 Plymouth Barracuda will still briefly grab my attention, but it’s the current happenings that I find captivating.

In spite of this blip that I now have to work around, there is no place in life I would rather be than where I am right now. Given the choice between the muscle cars of the past and the new, I would lean toward the new; where I was “back then” to where I am today, I would pick today. I, too, like the newer muscle cars, am better equipped to deal with what life throws my way. After all, getting to 60 mph in about three seconds is way cool, but you never know when you need to stop on a dime.

Thanks for reading, liking and sharing.

Al and his faithful sidekick, Ivy the wonder pup.