CARS

GOOD MORNING WORLD

I saw a bright yellow Thunderbird sitting in a used car lot on the way home today.  Oh where the mind wanders when spurred by just one thing.  All of a sudden I was transported back to High School and Bud’s yellow mustang with the black top.  Now this was a sweet car.  In my hometown new cars were not the norm.  David had an old red Dodge I think and my girlfriend Frankie drove this blue truck.  Most of us used our parents cars like Judy’s folks Cadillac and Liz’s Corvair.  New cars were rare.  Now whether Bud bought his or it was given to him as a graduation gift did not matter.  He certainly deserved it as a Merit Scholar and plans to go on to be a doctor.  Ultimately, he is now running a major medical center.  In the spring of 1965 he was the coolest guy on the block.  That car was sweet and no one really cared if he bought it or it was a gift.  We were all just be happy for him.

The second place my mind went with this car was to my youth and “Uncle Mert”.  He worked with my Dad at the marine hardware store.  He was absolutely no relation.  The ‘Uncle’ came about as my Dad’s brother in law worked there as well.  I remember one day saying that I thought I would make them all uncles and it stuck on ‘Uncle Mert’.  He was married to his high school sweetheart until the horrible happened and they divorced.  That in itself was also a rarity.  The new ‘girlfriend’ was enjoyed the 57 Black Thunderbird that ‘Uncle Mert’ drove.  Sandra was a cute petite woman.  She was my height and that was fun.  We became friends and I went a bunch of places with them.  Not sure why – I enjoyed it and they seemed to as well.  The reason for all this thought was she fit and sat on the console of the Thunderbird as it had those ‘new’ bucket seats.

Then there were the cars that came with the summer people.  These were people who lived elsewhere in the USA and moved to their ‘summer homes’ in my hometown beginning in June each year.  Some of them had these cars that had windshield wipers in the back.  They were kind of a round car.  I was fascinated with the windshield wipers.  Why – I have no idea.  I just said someday I want one of those cars!  They were unique and looked like fun.  In 1982 we got our first used Volvo which was what I discovered those summer cars were.  My brother-in-law worked for Volvo Marine and had to sell his company car!!!  It had the windshield wiper in the back!  Now most every car you see has windshield wipers in the back.  I was at least ahead of the curve in wishes.

The most unique thing about this whole story is it brings me to Facebook.  Can I make a short story long or what??  On Facebook a young cousin of mine posted a question that sounded a bit depressed such as ‘do somedays really come’ or some such.  I was able to post right back that indeed they do.  I shared the story above about the windshield wiper car.  I am still driving since 1982 that same brand – my someday car – only a newer model that is now 10 yrs old!

…..ONWARD TO MORE MISADVENTURE…