Not really about cars

Two and a half years ago, I wrote a post on my private blog detailing an experience I wished I’d had.  I thought about that post today and decided I needed to republish it.

Let’s talk about cars, shall we?  Twenty years ago, I was faced with a choice.  I could drive the old standby car…a Ford.  It was reliable.  I knew what to expect from it.  As long as I kept it serviced and made sure there was fuel, I could drive all across the country.  I couldn’t go wrong with a Ford.  My other choice was somewhat exotic.  You’d heard of these cars, but unless you were in California or New York, you never really saw them.  And when you did, you just stopped and stared.  That car was a DeLorean.  Now at the time, I didn’t know what to think of the DeLorean.  Would it be reliable?  Could I count on it to get me where I needed to go?  Would it last?  And what would everyone say?  That was the most important question.  How could I choose the DeLorean when I knew everyone would stop and stare?  I would be talked about.  I couldn’t handle being the center of attention.  Good or bad.  And believe me when I say driving a DeLorean would be getting me all kinds of bad attention.  So I chose the Ford.  The good ol’ reliable Ford.  It still works today.  Like a charm.  But when I see that DeLorean I always wish I had at least taken it for a test drive before I made my decision.

Not long after I wrote that post I finally gave in and took that DeLorean for a spin.  Oh my.  After the thrilling initial test drive, I tried to go back to my safe, comfortable Ford, but I couldn’t stop thinking about the DeLorean.  I knew that no matter how much I wanted to, I would never again be satisfied with the Ford.  The DeLorean was the car for me.  It doesn’t always run smoothly, and there’s a lot to learn to make it work right.  I’ve heard from people who have been driving DeLoreans for years, and the stories they’ve shared about the good trips and the times they were left stranded by the roadside have both thrilled and frightened me.  But no matter what I hear or experience, I know that this is the car for me.  I can’t give up on it just because I don’t know everything there is to know about my DeLorean.  I can’t give up on it just because people might stop and stare when they see me driving it.  I can’t give up because the way I feel nestled behind the wheel tells me that I’m right where I belong.