Have you ever driven by an old car sitting peacefully in an old field and stopped to think “Man, I wonder what the stories are behind that car? I wonder about the history of the families that rode in it.”
I could only imagine; the ride from a friend’s house we just picked up to spend the night, the fun we had in the back seat playing and conjuring up stories of super heroes, cowboys and Indians, cops and robbers, or playing with matchbox cars, army men, cap guns and all the GOOD OLD toys. Do you think our kids today would look at us like we were crazy? I can hear my son now, “What about the DVD player, Dad, or the Nintendo 3DS? How did you guys have fun back then?”
I would LOVE to get an old abandoned car and park it on the vacant side property of my house and take my son back in time; playing with him in the back seat of one of the historic rides. I can see it all now. We could grab some old Hot Wheels, sit on the musty old back floorboards facing the back seats, and pretend to drive on them like old town farm roads. Or maybe I could hang out the window flailing an old Bonnie and Clyde replica toy gun as my son pretended to drive like a mad man who just robbed a bank…
Man, the fun we had when we were kids. The creativity of our imaginations, as beautiful and vibrant as these classic gems. The creators of these old cars put true craftsmanship into creating works of art that were made of real American steel.
I sit back and wonder what kind of stories could be told that may now be long lost, as particles of dust in the wind. This is why, when I’m out driving, and I see an old abandoned car, I have to stop and capture the moment. Before they Rust in Peace and no story is left to be told or your once youthful imagination vanishes like deteriorating metal.
The next time you see an old car in a field or a barn, when out with your family, take a break from your busy life. Spend 5 to 10 minutes of your life, gaze at the beauty these dinosaurs still display, and spend some family time talking about history you think once happened in one of these abandoned cars.
May they Rust in Peace.