A Ton and a Half of Steel, or Something More?

At some point in ownership, regardless of whether or not you're a car aficionado, you take a look at your ride and you're reminded of the time that's passed in your life during that period.

Whether or not you take that thought any further though, is up to you.

I see a car as more than just a machine, more than just a collection of plastic bits, aluminum and iron engine pieces and steel body frame. It can symbolize any number of things, like primal freedom or escape from daily drudgery. Just you and your four-wheeled transport as you travel to wherever your wallet and your gas tank endure.

It can be a vacation with your mates to the shore for a weekend of drunken antics, enjoying youth and irresponsibility. Or a road trip across two states to see your favorite band do their thing live, your sound system a euphony of their art.

Eventually, all those memories become something more than just mental - they're attached to the object in your driveway. If you spend enough time with a car, you feel a connection to an almost human-level bond; you can almost feel what your machine feels, like it's become a close friend.

And like a close friend, when it hurts...you hurt. I was miserable for weeks until my buddy got back from the "hospital" after he took a beating from a Tahoe.



Stick with the same ride long enough, and it will symbolize both how your life has changed in that time and the places you've driven to - it will be a steel version of you. That's why I love "used" cars so much. Whenever I get behind the wheel of someone else's car, I always wonder, "Where has you been? What kind of stories could you tell about your adventures, if you could speak? Who were your previous owners? Did they treat you as one of their own, or were you neglected, simply partitioned as a tool to enhance their lives?"

Whenever I see a car like that, ignored and hurting, I hear it screaming, "Help me!" like an abandoned dog. Sure, he may be a bit scruffy and needs some medicine to get him going again, but you get the sense that if you take care of him, he'll be the best damn dog you'll ever have.