Cars, theyre a part of our lives, tools that we use to get places, move goods and places. But sometimes the machine transcends into something more, an extra member of the family. A machine that you trust, that quite literally shares your every journey.
In todays affluent society we may go on holiday by plane to foreign climes, but most of us remember holidays of our youth spent traveling long distances in our Dads old car, perhaps towing a caravan. Those journeys still symbolize something to most of us. I will never forget the smell of our old family caravan, the places we visited whilst on holiday, the beautiful scenery, visits to stately homes, museums and other places of interest. The countless hours spent in the back seat of our car playing i-spy, spot the car and similar activities. I could include the family singing during our journey, but thats a memory Id rather forget!
What is it that make us love the machine? Surely logic would assume that this is an inanimate object and incapable of thought or returning our love. For love it is. Some of us can look at that shiny hunk of metal with adoration. We follow the lines of our sleek steel horse and smile, whether it be thoroughbred Italian stallion or cronky ugly duckling. Is it the memories that make us feel this way or is it the passion of the designers that appeal to us? What impels us to name our cars, assigning them dignity and respect?
I know that there are those that disagree and only ever view their motorcar as a hunk of metal, nothing more that a tool, easily discarded, just as easily replaced. Im not one of those people. My cars have always had names, different characteristics and quirks. Every time I have to sell or scrap a vehicle I feel guilty for betraying this metal friend and even can get a bit choked up.
My car is my pet without fur, a confidant when I am driving alone, a bodyguard to me and my family. It plays music while I sing, brings joy and thrills when I feel the need for speed and is my daily workmate. Sometimes I play the proud father when someone compliments it. Now some of my readers will no doubt think I am a little soft in the head when I say this, but I even say goodnight to my car when I lock it up for the night. I chastise it when it starts to play up, praise it when it accomplished a difficult feat, like a very long journey or making it home despite being sick.
What does that say about me? I am a nerd, a sad old lamo maybe. But I am not alone in treating my machinery like this. Millions of car owners the world over think like I do. Does it matter? Will your car run any better if you love it and treat it like a part of the family? In my opinion yes it will. Common sense would suggest that this is purely because cars treated with love are serviced more regularly and thus will work better and last longer. I cant deny common sense, but I also cannot change my heart. I am proud of my shiny painted friend and thrive on the song of that combustion engine.
The car that I have now has been in my ownership for a fair few years. Hopefully, I will own it for a few more. I dont plan on replacing it, for it is now as much a member of my family as batty Auntie Nora, and who could get rid of Aunt Nora? Sure my wife might get a bit jealous of my car, but truth be told, she feels the same way. She wont admit it, but she even calls it by name.
So what about you? Will you treat your car with the love and attention that it deserves? It never hurts to do so, and it may well reward your affection with greater reliability and fuel economy. Go on, try it. Give her a little reward. An air freshener, a new pair of tyres, shampoo the seats, change the oil on time, you wont regret it!
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