Do You Ever Think About Cars?

It occurred to me the other day, how much cars take me to the person I associated them with.  Much like old songs can send me back to a different time in my life, seeing certain cars immediately brings certain people to mind.  Maybe it is a Southern California thing, but cars really take me  back.

This is Chevy Berretta...Superman drove one when I first started dating him.  He hated that car, but I loved it.   I called it the Batmobile. We drove it for years and years and it had the best air conditioning of any car I've ever driven.  I wonder if he still hates it?

When I see anyone drive a big blue Ford Excursion around town, I think of "Heather, Heather, Heather" and french fries, early dismissal afternoons with all the kids and the way her phone used to pocket dial me all the time and hearing her drive through order with her mom and the kids at Taco Bell. I haven't seen Heather in more than six years as she and her family picked up and moved to Indiana right before we headed to the Pacific Northwest.  Still, one glimpse of one of these cars takes me back to a time of toddlers.

 (The interesting thing?  Angelica had one of these, too, but seeing one doesn't bring her to mind.)

When I see one of these little minis, I think of Heather's mom, who was so excited to get one of these...

She loved that car...but I heard she doesn't have it anymore.  Still, she'll always be a Mini-Cooper girl to me.

When I see a forest green Ford Windstar, I think of my friend Karen.  This car turned out to be such a blessing for her, I always associate these with her.  Truly, though, I should associate it with Superman's sister, because Karen's car used to belong to the Steel Magnolia.

But for Steel Magnolia, I think of her whenever I see a silver Toyota Highlander.  I remember all kinds of funny things about her getting this car...zero percent financing, how excited she was after being a mini-van mom for so many years.  It just suited her.

When I see one of these on the road, I think of Mr. R.  With Mr. R. working in North Dakota, the trucks I see on the road aren't him, but still, I think, "Oh, there he goes off to work."  He loves that truck...I think that for him it represents his family coming out of a difficult time and being on the other side.

And lastly, when I see one of these, which I very rarely do, I think of a younger Superman.  This Camaro Z28 was his car before he had me and when we were dating, he would drive by to "visit" it at Costco,(where the young man who bought it from him worked) just to make sure it was being cared for. (I am sure I actually have an incorrect wrong picture, but this is as close as I could come.)  The funniest thing? I never actually saw Superman with this car, I just know how much he loved it and that love always comes to mind when I see one of these.

Cars are funny, aren't they?  Or maybe it is just people who are funny...