I don’t stockpile these “Confessions”; each month I think until I come up with an idea I can run with. Sometimes the ideas are kinda lame. I know even Brett Farve can’t throw for a touchdown every time so I guess the best I can hope for is to not get sacked too often. Enough of the pitiful attempts at metaphor, this month I’m thinking about what we do and why.
By we, I mean HMCCC, individually and as a club. We’re pretty lucky, you know, in that most of us are able to do the things we love; we have both the time and the money to pursue our passions at least to some extent. I remember the days when just the pressure of providing for a family kept me scrambling 24/7. There wasn’t time or money for unessentials and lots of “like-tos” took a backseat to “have-tos.”
It warms the cockles of my Loman & Barkley heart* when I see “us” doing the things we love to do and, at the same time, giving back to our community. Although it’s pretty obvious we don’t all love exactly the same things and sometimes don’t agree on how to show our love, we seem to agree on the “giving back” part. As a result, this year both the Alzheimer’s Association and Toys 4 Tots will be better able to do what they do. Everybody wins and that’s a good feeling!
I said last month that as long as I can cruise in my old car I don’t care too much about “economy crashes or hurricane breezes.” The fact is, in the coming months, some of us won’t be able to play with our toys to the extent we have in the past. Of course we’ll only have to wait until the new administration makes good on their promises. Then we’ll all wind up with a new Chevy in every garage and a new garage for every Chevy!
As good as our generosity makes me feel and as well as we seem to be able to overlook those things our colleagues do to annoy us, there is room for improvement. That’s what I thought the other night as I overheard one of my compatriots essentially telling another that “ . . . your cars aren’t as worthy of attention as mine.” I’d like to think that no Car Guy hates any other Car Guy because he (or she) loves his (her) car(s) too much (or not enough). We are in deep doo-doo if we start judging one-another on the amount of money we spend or the way we choose to make our cars look!
I happen to know that not too long ago one of our favorite Chevy guys attended an event celebrating . . . (wait for it) . . . Hemis! We certainly live in turbulent times. Nowhere is this more evident than in the auto industry. In fact, in the near future our favorite automaker may be changing its name; it’s possible we’ll soon be buying cars from General Mopars!
I don’t want to sound too P.C. here but I believe the strength of our association lies in its diversity; we share an appreciation of things automotive and the opportunity to interact with others who feel the same. We need to cultivate our differences, however, as much as we do our similarities. I, for one, will never support any mistreatment of either Ford owners or folks who trailer their old cars even though being around that kind of people makes me extremely uncomfortable.
*An obscure reference to the ‘70’s morning radio show on KFI, Los Angeles.
Shoeboxes in a Parking Lot
To the tune of Little Boxes
Shoeboxes in a parking lot,
All lined-up for another show,
Tri-five Chevys shined-up pretty,
And they don’t all look the same.
There's slammed ones and fast ones
And plain ones and fancy ones
All built by Chevy in the fifties,
But they’re just not all the same.
They are hot rods or customs,
Or restored to mint condition,
Though they all are Tri-five Chevys,
They are not just all the same.
There's convertibles and hardtops
And gassers and just survivors
Built by Chevy in the fifties
But they’re just not all the same.
Car Guys drive the shoeboxes
To shows and to cruise-ins,
And love their trusty Chevys,
Making sure they’re not the same.
There are Bel Airs and Nomads
And even some pick-up trucks,
Built by Chevy in the fifties
But they’re just not all the same.
With big blocks and small blocks,
And four-speeds and automatics
Some are trailer queens, others drivers
So they’re clearly not the same.
They come out in the spring time
And cruise on through the summer,
Then go back into their garages
Which are also not all the same.
I’ve been watching old episodes of a Showtime series called Weeds. The theme song of the show is Little Boxes which I remember from the Sixties. I think Pete Seeger sang the version I remember although it may have been written by Woodie Guthrie. It’s one of those songs you can’t get out of your head. Anyway, I modified it a bit to fit in this space (there’s a rumor going around that I may have too much time on my hands).
By C.G. Anderson
From: Heart of Maryland Classic Chevy Club Newsletter
October, 2008
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1 comment:
From a quick internet check: Malvina Reynolds, songwriter, singer and poet, wrote the song back in 1962. Many other artists have sung their versions of it. The list includes: Pete Seeger, Elvis Costello and Engelbert Humperdinck. Chilean singer Víctor Jara made a version in Spanish. The title was "Casitas". And a quick check is all I'm in for.
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