An old adage, cleaned up for our readers states, “if it has wheels or a
skirt it will break your heart.” And as many of us know, it will also break
your wallet. So when it came to where our hard earned after school dollars
went, many us of chose the wheels over the skirts. At least for a while, as no
one, even the nerdiest had your parents pick up your date, it just wasn’t done.
So the car came before the date, in alphabetical order, and also social order.
And soon we found out that no matter how cool you thought your wheels were,
there was someone whose wheels were cooler. Sadly learned when your date talked
about the cooler car next to you at the drive-in, or cancelled and you saw her
in it, at the drive-in, while she was home washing her hair. Add some speed,
and soon fast cars were the draw for the girls, with Corvettes, Boss Mustangs,
Z-28’s, and 55 Chevies ruling the pecking order as a young man. Much different
today as I see little 4 door Japanese sedans, where have all the convertibles
gone, where are all the V-8’s, have girls finally gotten faster than cars? How
far have we fallen from racing stripes, hood lock pins, Wide Oval tires, Cragar
SS mags, and open headers? What is the attraction of a car that was designed to
haul your family, and whose motor sounds like a sewing machine? Have we become
a nation of sedans in what used to be a convertible world? I figure society has
just taken a hard left into the abyss, where men shave their heads and women
think it is sexy, they drive little sedans with stereos having more power than
their engines, and listen to hip hop. I miss the days of fast cars, and girls
in knee socks, short skirts, and sweaters. Maybe I am showing my age, maybe you
are showing yours. Or maybe I was part of it....
It is 1975, and Garry Brown has just built a custom van as an engineering
project for his engineering degree at Bucknell. A 1973 Chevy van 10, it has two
layers of shag carpet, two 8 tracks, an ice box, American Racing mag wheels, and
side pipes. Powered by a 307, low horsepower V-8. A cool van, I bought it, but
low on power, but somehow high on sex appeal, as girls loved it. Maybe it
brought out the bad girl in them, the legends far exceeded reality. I was
living with Cakers, a few years older, and his peer group were professionals.
IE, they had jobs. He invited me to a party one night, and I followed him in
the van, hoping to score early and leave. Which I did, being introduced as the
guy who rides motorcycles, I was a real bad boy. And soon Maggie, school
teacher Maggie and all her beauty was talking to me. Afraid of bikes, she was
suddenly intrigued when she asked if I knew who owned the van, and even more
interested when I told her me. Now Cakers had warned me how shallow she was,
but between sexual drive, her willingness, and the van, I didn’t hear a word he
said. But fortunately, before we left the party together I heard hers. She was
in love with the van, and “was willing to endure me to get a ride in it,” I
overheard her tell her friend. She was using me, the roles were reversed.
Silently I went into my “I’ll show you” mode, and off we went. I even let her
drive for awhile, and then we drove off to the river, where people parked for
romance. Finding a spot, we waded into the river, and all she could talk of was
the van, and I was tired of it. So skillfully making an excuse to get something
from the van, I went back, got in and left. Leaving her in the river
vanless....a victory for all of us who had been used by a pretty face, more
interested in our wheels than us. And back to the party I went, and when some
asked “where’s Maggie?” I told them she went swimming, and would call them
tomorrow. The last party I was invited to by Cakers, but his friends were all
impressed by the statement I had made. Never did hear from Maggie though, sold
the van after that. Still ride motorcycles, so does my wife of 36 years.
Proving there are two kinds of girls, those you date, and those you marry, I
hope you make the some great choice I did.
Now I like to think I taught Maggie a lesson, I am sure her version is
different. And to her friends she was the victim, to my friends I was the
victim, but ended the hero. So it is good to know your audience before you tell
the story, and always better to listen to both sides before making a decision.
Using the wisdom Solomon had when dealing with two women arguing over ownership
of a baby, but only one the true mother. So he offered to cut it in half, give
each half to a one claiming to be the mother, the true mother loving her child
so much she was willing to give it over, rather than to see it killed, or even
shared. God feels that way about you, He doesn’t want to cut you up, or off, so
sent Jesus to show the way back, to be the only way to Him. Letting us make the
decision, for some easy, for some still debating, and for some total rejection.
Listening to others opinions, letting them become a burden instead of going with
the truth. They are like Maggie, wanting a ride, but not counting the cost.
And when caught in their own lies, pay the price. Fast girls and cars, a sure
equation for disaster, even worse in a van.
So it does matter what you drive, ride, who you date, and who you choose to
worship. Fast cars are still cool today, fast girls still going for rides, just
missing the commitment of marriage. Maybe that is why you never hear the
stories at old car shows or see the vans the stories took place in. One night
stands in the social/auto world. And maybe why so many wives, mine included go
to old car shows. They have memories too, and talk of fast men and cars. Levis
with grease on them, Bell helmet shirts, and nights cruising, getting on the
gas. And of going home after a cruise night with their husbands, the way it
oughta be. Some have the wisdom of Solomon, proving it by choosing you, while
their friends tell them “their husband got the best of the deal.” And when
Jesus is in the middle of your marriage, even in a world of fast girls and cars,
in wheels and skirts, He never lets you down. For behind the wheel of all great
marriages is Jesus. And the great ones let Him drive. Which gives us more time
to cuddle in the back seat. Something we could never do with our parents.
The good old days are here again, or still for some of us. Speed will
always be attractive, and so will fast cars and bikes. But make sure the one
you take home to Mom and Dad knows the difference. The wisdom of Solomon works
great in racing and dating, works great even in marriage. And maybe explains
after all these years why I am not a fan of vans, mini or other. It took the
wrong girl to show me the right way. And it took a loving God to show me the
wisdom of Solomon, giving me the right girl, and blessing our marriage. I’ll
ride to that.
love with compassion,
Mike
matthew25biker.blogspot.com