Continuing on the Journey, Reflections on Necessary Detours

Good Evening Dear Readers,

I must apologize for being so so silent for many months again, the journey has been arduous and my lady so preoccupied. She is writing again and becomes lost sometimes in a world beyond the one she lives in. Always hopeful she is and I wonder sometimes how she keeps going, building what she wants to build in life and trying to enjoy the moment. there have been many detours of late and she now feels that she must encourage me to pick up the pace and make up for lost time. Grudgingly, I accede to her wishes and try my best to keep her in her seat while I pick up speed. I caution her to go slow, to allow life to unfold, ideas have to coalesce and time must soften the edges of the ideas so they become more constructive. This is such a difficult concept for my lady and others to master it seems–my lady needs to stop rushing through her life as if there is a race to be won. Racing through life is an illusion that many people get caught up in so they can attempt to dull the boredom or dissatisfaction that occurs when they are less satisfied with their progress to date, whether it be in their personal or professional life. At least that is what I have noticed. When a person realizes that the detours were necessary many times and all a part of the journey, only then does the life one is leading at the moment begin to make sense and a person can concentrate on experiencing the joy of the moment at any given time. So, with that said, I am happy to have my lady back behind the wheel and moving forward again in the right direction. Please stay tuned for upcoming messages from the road!

Revvs and rpms,

The Car

Transitions to a Higher Gear

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Well, here we are again on the cusp of another of life’s transitions to a another gear.  This time it is definitely a higher gear though, which presents both opportunities and challenges at the same time, which is about as tricky as navigating a banked turn at 220 mph with a full track.

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On Recalibration, Shifting Gears Fluidly and Moving Forward With Determination

On Recalibration, Shifting Gears Fluidly and Moving Forward With Determination

Greetings!………

…….and here is to new beginnings everyone!   First of all, I must apologize for hiding in the garage most of the time for pretty much 39 months now and being so silent.  A lot was going on these last few years and I guess you could say that my lady  was in the process of recalibrating, learning how, for actually the first time, to shift into the correct gear and let the engine of the universe do most of the work.  Suffice it to say that she has been fighting the transmission most of our lives; this has not been easy for me to witness.  She seems like she has finally fell into a gear in which she is comfortable, at least for the present time.  I know the calm may not last long because I know for sure that she is now in her “thinking and planning” phase.  Once she is done “thinking and planning” I can rest assured that her foot will be in my carburetor again!

I am hopeful though that  her thinking and planning phase will give me the opportunity to fill you in much more on what we both have learned over the past three years and three months and what I think is coming up over the next three to six years in our lives.  I really do feel that documenting some of the experiences that have touched our lives might actually help pave a road for some of you to navigate through life’s hair pin curves a little easier than we had because frankly, I wound up spinning my back wheels in a couple of roadside ditches over the past few years.  But we made it out eventually, even if we needed some human assistance in getting out now and then.

So fasten your seat belts and as those of you who love roller coasters like the Texas Giant at Six Flags as much as my lady does know, you should “keep your arms and legs inside the car at all times and do not stand up………..”

Many happy RPMs,

The Car

On Surrending, Control and Comfortability with Uncertainty

Good Evening Everyone!
Well, I had an interesting day; actually I have had an interesting week chauffering my lady around while she ran from place to place trying to get everything all done this week. It seems like we are running about nine races at once, hoping we will get the pole position in at least one of the races to make our run for the front of the lineup. It has not been easy these past ten months for sure!

My lady and I have thought a lot about the path our life has taken, particularly over the past 15 years and one thing is very certain–there is a tenuous relationship between surrender and control in both one’s professional life as well as in one’s personal life. It almost seems as if in order to guide oneself in the life path one has chosen, a person has to surrender most of the control to a higher power or, for those who do not subscribe to any type of spiritual belief, to something outside oneself. In turn, this surrendering leads in time to a comfortability with the entire uncertainty of the situation that one often times finds oneself in. The feeling that occurs when this is all taking place–the metamorphosis if you will–is sometimes disconcerting and bewildering. And sometimes downright scary–like being at the top of the first downward drop on a rollercoaster. You know the feeling–the exhilaration, the trepidation, the anticipation (and the fear) all rolled up in one feeling that is amazing. I wish I could bottle that feeling and keep it on the shelf to refer to it now and then; to hold it, examine it, embrace it and try to get comfortable with the feeling itself. But I am beginning to understand one thing, and that is that without surrendering to the feeling, without actually letting go, one cannot embrace all the nuances that life can bring. It is at that point–at the point at which I want to tell my lady to slam on the brakes or downshift several times at the very least, that I must resist. I must encourage her to press on, to let us bank on the turn and slide through the corner even if we only nearly miss the wall. And it is then that I promise that while surrendering to the force of gravity that pulls us around the corner, I won’t let her fly out of the car, but I will embrace her solidly and we will pull around the corner together, having worked through whatever uncertainty that life has thrown at us while banking that turn.

Have another wonderful evening!

Sweet dreams and happy racing–

The Car

On Love, Safety and Prosperity

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” — Jeremiah 29:11
Good Evening All!

Happy Saturday evening–I just finished my supper at the local Chevron station (appetizers of octane boost and my version of fuel mignon with the highest rating) and am parked at the curb awaiting my lady to chauffeur her to a local spot so she can do some yoga and then go stargazing so she can find her muse this evening. How I love evenings like this, so full of anticipation on what the night can bring. While she practices her yoga, I will wait patiently to ferry her down to the beach where she will play with the seagulls for a while then run through the surf to get the rest of her exercise for the evening before retiring to her special spot (I will have to tell you about that wonderful spot sometime) where we will watch the night sky to see what constellations we can see on this bright and crisp fall evening.

I have given lots and lots of thought to this concept of unconditional love. What is it, actually? How does it happen, how does it feel? I came across a birthday card that my lady received from someone very dear to her this year. My lady had put it in my glove compartment for safekeeping. It was a homemade card with an original verse:

Love

Your love shines through the darkest of places, it is more powerful than the oceans, and can touch the heart in a way no love can. Your love is unique in a way of none other, I find it addicting, always satisfying my hunger. Your love is most comforting during the most troubling times, nourishing my heart in the most reassuring ways. Your love is kept in a special place in my heart, and is always there when I need it. Your love is a necessity to me, I often find myself craving for it when I am not by your side. God has given you this special power to care for me as you have, and I often long for your love day and night. I Love You!!

This pretty much says it all; my lady almost cried when that was read to her. I think she realized at least she has passed on her experience and that wonderful feeling to others she is close to. That makes my lady most happy–she feels that she has been able to preserve a legacy for her dear friend who was, in essence, like a mother to her and who always made her feel safe and secure for almost 30 years. Their paths had crossed very circumstantially one day and the rest was history. I am so happy that my lady found her friend and her friend’s husband at that time. Her life experience was so much more enriched from knowing them and caring for them which she has always felt was a great honor. When I thought of that I realized that that is perhaps what is so amazing about unconditional love–it is a love that is given freely from one to another, with no concern for anything in return, just the joy that comes from making someone feel safe, secure and wanted. I think that is what she misses so much these days–the safety, the security, the desire to be of service to someone in an emotional sense. But she also realizes that many, many people never have the opportunity to experience this in a lifetime and for that opportunity she feels so blessed. And she has never tired of trying to replicate this feeling for others so that she can increase its potential and power. Lack gives birth to opportunity in many ways. Maybe in my next post, if I can put into words how she feels about some other special people in her life, I can explain in another way how she has tried to grow her friend’s legacy over the years. I know she never even realized that was what was happening, but it is so cool to look back now and see how it all happened, without her even thinking about it.

Well, enough for one evening. Have a wonderful night and safe travels tonight, wherever you may be going………..

All the best,

The Car

On Downshifting and Letting Go

Good Morning Everyone!
Greetings here from the curb–it is a lovely day here although a bit colder than usual. Fall is definitely setting in and winter is coming. Will someone out there please tell my lady that if she intends to park me at the curb through the winter I will need a more substantial cover? Something with a soft flannel inside would be nice. Honestly, she had to know I was a bit grumpy yesterday morning when she tried to get me to turn over. But then again, I know she was a bit out of sorts yesterday because she jumped in and woke me up right away. Usually, she lets me ponder and purr a bit but this morning and yesterday she was all business. I know better than the complain when that is the case, so I just moved into gear and away from the curb on command.

I overheard her speaking to one of her close friends yesterday, so I know that she has been worrying over and missing especially her dear friend who passed away almost nine years ago now. Well, maybe worrying is not the right word; after all her good friend has passed on to the next life. Actually, I think my lady is distraught and I think she is feeling like she needs to properly let go finally after all these years. But it is hard for my lady. She loves unconditionally and the bond that she and her good friend shared was singular and about as deep as our love for each other. Something like that is rare for sure and I know that the reason my lady has such a hard time downshifting (well, I call it downshifting but maybe most of you refer to it as “letting go”) at certain times in our lives–she misses her dear friend too much. Consequently, it looks like I may have to take the wheel for a bit here, no pun intended. While I am driving, let me cogitate a bit over the question of what exactly is unconditional love and what happens to a person when someone one loves that dearly passes away. This is a fairly complicated topic, especially where my lady is concerned. I promise to write more tonight when I think this through. In the meantime, I just saw my lady speaking to the manager of the service station where she gives me my weekly bath. Turns out that she is trying to get a job detailing the cars there at the car wash. They thought she was kidding, but when she told them she was not joking, they did give her an application. Well, at least her children won’t starve and I won’t go thirsty either–or lack my weekly bath if she is successful at getting some hours there!

TTYL,

The Car

On Beginning, Moving On, Bluebirds, Throttles and Downshifting

Greetings again friends!

I hope everyone is well this lovely evening! I promised in my last post to tell you the story about the bluebirds, so here it is. Have you ever wondered why bluebirds are referred to as the “Bluebirds of Happiness”? And, perhaps most importantly, how many of you have actually seen a real bluebird in its outdoor habitat? I would venture a guess that not many of you have. Yet for years, the bluebird has been a symbol of prosperity, good health and happiness. There are bluebird statues, bluebird cookie dishes, bluebird nesting boxes put up in open meadows and backyards for the sole purpose of attempting to attract this somewhat elusive creature to one’s environment. My lady had even put up a bluebird nesting box in her backyard at one time which she had pretty much turned into a backyard bird sanctuary, complete with feeders, flowers which attracted certain types of birds and all types of nesting boxes and woodland arrangements that small birds and all types of critters could overwinter in. Prior to the bluebird sighting I am going to tell you about, my lady and I had only seen bluebirds–three of them–a few times in the yard after we had put in the bird sanctuary. So, this time was really special. Special because it was in the middle of a blinding snowstorm that we sighted three bluebirds huddling in a barren tree next to the deck of the house! Yes, my lady had been worrying a bit more than usual because she and the children were stranded in their home during a blizzard with no transportation out, little funds and no hope for any relief for the next 24 to 48 hours as the snow kept swirling about. She was asking the universe to send a sign–anything–to give her hope that their lives would soon improve, when all of a sudden those three bluebirds swooped down onto the tree, huddled together and stared right at her through the kitchen window!! My lady stood there staring at these wonderful birds for about two full minutes and when she blinked to make sure she was not “seeing things” they were still there! Smiling, she silently figured she had her sign and took that to mean that the course that was about to be charted in her life and her children’s lives would ultimately lead her to happiness, even though at the time the emotional pain she felt was almost visibly palpable in her countenance. However, what she did not know at that time was that the happiness would not be an end in itself (which was what she was hoping for), but that she and her children (all six of them) would find happiness all along the way during the journey that she and they were going to embark on. In fact, little did she know that it would take her almost a decade to grow and understand enough to experience joy for the first time in her life and definitely a decade to break free from the emotional shackles that kept her from enjoying life. She was also going to have to become comfortable with uncertainty–something she had never been good at–in order to experience true joy. But once she did experience that joy, nothing could ever hurt her again–at least in a lasting sense. So I guess this is the most important part of our story together, these last ten years. I promise to collect my thoughts enough over the next few days so that I can more eloquently tell our story which is still unfolding, in greater detail. In the meantime, my lady continues to pick up speed enjoying life full throttle despite the obstacles and challenges that are being sent our way. In fact, I have to keep reminding her to downshift adequately at appropriate times lest we fly off our course!

Sweet dreams everyone–I look forward to chatting again soon!

The Car

On Emblems, Eagles and Freedom

Good Evening All! Well, here I am tucked in again under my trusty car cover. My lady and I had a great weekend! She entered me in a car show, something she told me she would never do. In fact, this was the second one she entered me in during my whole life so far–and all within two months; she always said she likes to drive me more than she likes to sit and look at me, even though I am one of the “unwanted” second generation Camaros. Not really worth all that much to most people, even those who love Camaros. But that does not matter to her, she loves me anyway, I know.
While we were at the show this weekend, I overheard her talking to someone and she was asking this person what they thought attracted everyone to the Camaro. After all, we are different than Stangs or Vettes for sure, even though the new fifth generation Camaros can give either a new Cobra or an ’09 ZR1 a good run for its money. She, of course, already knew what attracted foks to the Camaro, I know that. She just wanted to see what someone else thought. The person she was talking to did not miss a chance to give her his opinion–it was the freedom he said. I think he called the Camaro an “emblem of freedom” and my lady was in total agreement. The Camaro is an emblem of the free spirit that exists in everyone but which only a few people actually act on during their lifetimes.

Let’s think about this for a moment. I have noticed that my lady is pretty adamant about making sure nothing represses that free spirited consciousness and the happiness that both of us enjoy. Not that she has shirked her responsibilities in life, on the contrary, she has been steadfast in adhering to these responsibilities, many times to the detriment of her (and my) own desires and wishes. The heavens know that I have certainly enjoyed my own dose of reality when she stuffed all those children and groceries from her 3 a.m. runs to Stop & Shop in my backseat–how many did we raise anyway???? I lost track at six. I think that if there was one thing that my lady would totally agree with it is the fact that everyone needs to grab each and every opportunity in life to feel real joy and excitement, no matter what is going on in one’s life. And by golly, if there is no excitement there, she’d go out and create it just for us. If she had her way, she would counsel everyone not to worry, get anxious and otherwise stress over those things one cannot control (which is just about everything). I always hear her talking to herself, telling herself to remember that the only thing she can really control is what she thinks and feels about a situation. Of course, I always oblige to help her out when she slinks behind the wheel and turns the key in the ignition to take one of our “drives to nowhere” as she refers to them. That is the way she unwinds and gets back into our groove.

I specifically recall one of our drives during which we picked up an eagle that flew alongside with us for hours. Yes, it was a bald eagle on top of it all–the quintessential emblem of our domestic liberty! I knew that my lady had the ability to attract animals, and birds in particular, and this phenomenon had been occurring all her life. What was particularly interesting about this sighting was the fact that she recognized that it looked like the eagle was leading us and we were following. It was the children that noticed it first and they were so excited. The eagle was with us for hours as we travelled through the Texas panhandle and into New Mexico on that drive, leaving us only at Gila Bend when we stopped for a respite at The Space Age Hotel. It was pretty cool to see that. My lady and that eagle seemed to understand each other and the eagle at one time came pretty darn close to the driver side door as he was flying. She reached out and almost touched the bird at that point, much to the amazement of everyone else in the car. They had a connection that was wonderful to witness. I think to this day that that eagle was a messenger from the universe sent to let us know that we were ultimately on the right road of life and that we would be okay, even though we did not know where we were going, had little money and had no idea what we were going to do when we got to whatever destination was ultimately waiting for us. I think that eagle picked up where the winter bluebirds had left off; I will have to tell you about those bluebirds some time soon–maybe in my next post–and was a precursor to the hummingbirds that would ultimately befriend us at our new home which was yet unknown to us. That day will forever live in our memories as one of the most special times we shared on a drive. And it is a perfect memory of what both I and my fellow Camaros are for many folks–not just my lady–the emblem of freedom that means so much to so many people.

Sweet dreams and happy beginnings,

The Car

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