How much can one inanimate object mean to a human being? How much of an impact can a single token have one’s life?
If you’re a car guy (or girl), you already know what I’m writing about. Everyone has that one car that started it all for you. Whatever it is, might be different depending on your story but… You still know. You know the spoken language, the mutual respect, and that feeling when it stirs just the right part of your soul. You’ve made strangers into friends, shared stories with those you just met, and found it around each new hairpin turn and each long, unimpeded stretch of back road.
It is a strange thing to fall in love with a machine.
This is my Blue Car. For what it has been and what it will always be: a tidal force on the path of my life, a thread in the fibers of my being.
This piece has been many years in the making; Eleven and counting for me. It’s something I’ve been writing with every twist of the ignition, every wrench turn, every clutch-gear-gas-gone, every two buckets filled, and every parking lot lookback.
It’s been celebrated in every photograph, every stranger’s admiration, and every trophy won.
It’s been timeless by every friend made, every story shared, every roadtrip mile, and at every destination’s arrival.
I count myself lucky that my it, through many miles traveled, still resides with me in the physical realm not just the emotional one. I drove home in this car eleven years ago. Little did I know that my journey was just starting. Oh the places I’ve seen, the friends I’ve made, and the experiences I’ve had just because of a car. It seems silly now, just typing it out. But if you know, you know.
An homage, in so many pictures.
2011 3/S National Gathering, where I took home 1st place in the car show.
A short time after I brought the Blue Car home. 2004
A night at the museum. My first foray into night photography. 2004 Auburn, AL.
Sunset photography outside of Auburn, AL. 2005
A warm summer day at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, AL with some old friends. 2005
Pictures with my girlfriend at Jordan-Hare. Soon after my future wife (and her VR-4) moved to be with me at Auburn. 2006
My second BRG (Blue Ridge Gathering), and Dani’s first. 2006
Perfecting the art. 2008
New adventures with the modern era. Dani’s Evo X. 2011
New suspension, new beginnings. 2011
Coming into my own. BRG 2011.
Cafe 302 car show. 2012
Fall bliss at the Providence show. 2012
Doing what I’ve always loved. 2013 BRG prep.
Nashville Cars ‘n Coffee, exotics edition. Where your hero gets to meet its heroes. 2013
A day as any other, a dream realized. 2013
Automotive soulmates. 2014
A special day, if no other reason that it was another day with everything that it is. 2014
Friends. Family. Something bigger than yourself or anything on four wheels. Because of things with four wheels. BRG 2014
Special thanks to Dani, Jason, Jack, Christy, Tom, Phil, Tyler, Stephen, Greyson, Jess, Sam, David, Joe, Chris, Vicki and countless others who have all made major impressions on me and who I all met because of a car. I am thankful for and indebted to you all.
-Rob
Great writeup Rob. I feel the same way my friend.
Great write up. So many life changing people and events because of car. .. that is the best way for it to happen.
Love this! And thank you for including me in your journey all these years. Some of the best things in my life stemmed from exactly what you wrote about. But I think you already knew that 🙂 -Cty
Rob, it’s been truly great knowing you over the the years and no truer words have been spoken.
“Little did I know that my journey was just starting. Oh the places I’ve seen, the friends I’ve made, and the experiences I’ve had just because of a car. It seems silly now, just typing it out. But if you know, you know.”
Great post, dude! You and that car have both been huge inspirations for me to keep things clean and classy with my own stuff. I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of seeing Blue Car rolling out to meets and special cruises.
Oh, I get it. It’s not silly at all.
…Of course, it doesn’t hurt that it’s a sweet ride either.