On Garagelessness, CB Radios, Batman and Fairy Tales

I cannot believe that all this time has passed since my first post. Please forgive me for the long hiatus but I was a bit preoccupied taking care of my lady. She and I have been through some major changes lately–or, rather, I should say an emotional and physical metamorphosis of sorts. Oh, the metamorphosis was long, long overdue and is the culmination of about seven or eight years of steady work but even though that is the case, the actual morphing out of the chrysalis has been a bit frustrating and sometimes unnerving. The changes have catapulted me right back to the curb where she at least very lovingly covered me up today lest the hot sun beat down on me and damage my paint. The shock of it all is over now–I am garageless once again! Only this time, it may be a while before she can find a new home for me and the family. She seems pretty stoic about everything and as long as we are together I know she will be okay. I will take care of her, I always do. We are one, she and I, and we both know we could not live without the other, not for very long anyway.
So all of this has got me to thinking–what is it that is important in this lifetime? What fairly tale are we all chasing? To answer this I would have to remember what she once told me shortly after we met that day in the new car lot at the dealership. She admitted that as early as age seven she never felt like she was wanted anywhere or by anyone, and she could not wait to forge a life for herself where she felt that she could create a wonderful space for herself and her loved ones. She wanted to feel safe and wanted in her life space, that was important to her–and I think this is important to all of us. I know I was part of her plan to find that place, and for thirty-three years now we have been together through thick and thin. She has always taken me with her, and we have had some pretty nice garages to live in along the way. Perhaps the one in NYC was the most exciting. I still remember the load of lumber from the renovations at the Hotel Ansonia on West 73rd Street being dropped on my hood by the person doing the loading in the garage. Boy, was she mad about that! She made the hotel owner pay for the damages that time! And the garage at the home outside the City was pretty nice too and then one on the West Coast was small, but okay. But the personal life did not go well for us there in New York at all and we had to leave that lovely garage with the attached home and that is what sent us westward, quite by the turn of events. That New York stint was certainly a fairly tale without a happy ending. But before we left that lovely garage outside the City, I remember something that happened that was extremely important and it catapulted us on the trajectory that brought us here, to this emotional set point.

We were on one of our “rides to nowhere” as I recall it. She had been very upset that night and had taken me out for a dive on I-84. We had just driven to the 84 Diner and were on our way back north when she flipped on the radio to see if anyone was on that night. There was a group of folks chatting and after only a few minutes, we both figured out that the folks were talking about how they felt about their significant others. Now, we always made sure that we stayed pretty quiet so as not to blow our cover–after all, I am a four-wheeler and we always did want to be respectful. But this particular evening, when one of the parties on the radio proclaimed (in speaking about his wife) that he had been with the same woman for thirty-four years and she looked better to him every day and their relationship had gotten better by the day as well, she blurted something into the radio that I will never forget. Without even announcing us properly to the conversation, she exclaimed pretty emphatically that he should tell her that right away–that he should not wait a minute before letting her know that. Well, I just thought “Oh crap–what the heck did she open her mouth for?” She is the opinionated type! Of course, she, the quiet type with the CB handle, the Camaro Kid, who only announced herself to do a radio check every so often, then had to identify us at which point our cover was blown for the first time in about twenty-five years. But I learned something about her that night and I think she learned something about herself too. She finally had to acknowledge how bad our emotional lives had become because that which she wanted most of all had eluded her all these years. Even after she built that wonderful garage with the home and the yard we lived in. She was a wreck from the moment after she made that statement with such urgency. Unfortunately, she was still behind the wheel and I could not get her to pull over. Luckily, one of the other drivers was able to get us off the road where she calmed down. Honestly, I think she soaked my carpet from all the tears that flowed that night. She knew we had no choice but to leave our garage. I am still very much thankful for the person who pulled her over that night. I think he saved our lives, she was in no condition to be driving since she was so upset. We met the driver of that truck a few times at the 84 Diner for coffee and waffles after that night before we left New York. I recall on the last meeting he gave us a Rand McNally Road Atlas which she still has even after she got rid of almost every other book she ever owned. And she gave the driver her favorite Batman pin to keep to remind him of us. We often wonder how he is doing, whether his family is okay and whether he still has the pin which she used to keep right in between the two front visors on my headliner. He will always have a special place in our hearts.

Today,as we venture into yet the next phase of our lives, garageless once more, I know one thing for sure–things will certainly improve for the better because for the first time in the last seven years, I have noticed a huge change in my lady. I think she has finally figured out–after all these years–that she and I actually deserve to be happy. And now, by golly, I think that she has finally figured out how to make sure that happens for us…………………..

Have a magical evening!

The Car