I couldn’t wait to get my driver’s license.

A car was independence.
Yes, responsibility too, but it represented that I was moving into the adult world. After years of having adult duties but child status, I wanted to have the familial status that came along with the job.

I guess that’s kind of an odd way to put it.

I started working when I was 14. I wanted to be able to take myself to work instead of being an additional burden to my mom – who worked a fulltime and part time job during that time.

I wanted to help out by picking up by brother and sister. I wanted to take them to their activities and whatnot. Which, in turn, would further cut the parents out of their lives. Dad wouldn’t have to snore through another middle school band concert. Maybe mom could have an ounce of ‘me’ time.

I guess even back then I knew that happy parents might help their children to be happy.

Or, you know, I could just be overanalyzing everything. As a mastermind, I tried to find out the reasons for everything and everyone. That might be what of killed my childhood.

Moving on, I loved cars.
I didn’t understand them. Had no idea how to work on them and still don’t. But, they where fast. Stylish. They represented someone’s being – someone’s status – someone’s soul.

They where steel construction. There was probably a style for just about everyone. Responsible families got the Impala. Novas, Spyders, Mustangs, Corvettes, and yes – even the ill-fated Pinto. They had moon roofs or could be convertable. The insides of the cars looked physically different.

Rust and color are interwoven into the personality of the owner. Two-tone was not uncommon. They could have fins, big tires, and big engines.

And, society had a fascination for cars. Echo 1. The Batmobile. K.I.T.T. They Mystery Machine. The car from the Beverly Hill Billys and Munsters. The A-Team van. Green Hornet had a car. Heck, even the TMNT had their own pizza van. I’d even add the General Lee from the Dukes of Hazard, despite the South connotations. That car was hot. It ran fast and was spectacular for the time.

When we bought a car, it was thought that we would own it for as long as our TV and fridge – which was at least half a lifetime, if not more. That was part of our identity and not just something that would be easily abandoned.

It was who we are.

And now…. not so much.

Regulations from a previous president have killed that.
Cars needed to meet certain emission standards. They MPG should be such-and-such. Technology can only go so far with a combustible engine. The heart of the car changed.

We went from big boom 410 engines, mostly dumped 6 cylinders, and have bowed to the 4 cylinder. Sure, it’s great on gas, but an individual’s identity isn’t measured by miles-per-gallon.

The car is molded around the engine and so the shape and material is defined. Fiberglass and aluminum instead of steel. It needed to be light all to meet those requirements.

There was also a change in society.
We became more disposable. Manufacturers, overseas and at home, discovered that they made more money if appliances weren’t built to last ten years. Rather, two years. Five years at a stretch. Just as soon as the manufacture warranty expires, it’s time to consider a new appliance.

It also became a status symbol. A person was doing well if they could dish out a couple of thousand dollars on appliances every five years or so.
Who needs fridges that have mini-tvs in them? That’s what smartphones are for.

Anyway… getting back on track…

Cars stopped being shaped and created for the consumer. Rather, their creation became rooted in government regulations and policies to help the environment (or so Obama could leave his mark on another American tradition).

The buying of cars decreased. Instead, they’re leased — which is just a fancy way to say rented. There’s no personal ownership, pride, or identity.

It doesn’t matter if it’s Toyota, Honda, Ford, or Chevy, they look 95% the same because of the policy changes.

And, since the cars are really just a rental, the individuality has disappeared. That brings me to cars being silver, white, or gray. They’re fairly inoffensive and neutral colors that most seem to agree on.

There are exceptions of course. I think Minis can come in neon colors. There’s a splattering of the ‘premium colors,’ but no…. mostly gray, silver, and white.

Really, besides name brand, the only preference someone may have is where the all mighty cup holder is.

American has severed a way to claim and display personal identity while promoting the rich — those who can afford Teslas, McLarens, and Ferraris, to be the only ones who actually show their personality and flaunt what they have and we want.

It’s just amazing how we’ve changed from the 1960s to now. How an automobile meaning and institution has changed to the blandness that it is now.

Discouraging and scary.

Given enough time, good will, and persistence, anything could change without anyone realizing what is happening until it’s too late.

Pathetic.