It’s February, the month devoted to love. As we make a point to show those we care for a little more love, there is a love that we have had for generations. The love of cars. I grew up around cars. I remember getting to go to the race track to watch my dad race. It is an absolute incredible experience. There is the smell of fuel and exhaust as you watch the racers line up to take their turn at getting down the quarter mile faster than the car next to them. The excitement that builds as they prep their tires for maximum contact with the track with a burnout. The smell of the tires burning and the smoke rolling out from under them as they become sticky from the friction created. It’s the anticipation as the engines rev, waiting for the lights. Watching as the yellow lights illuminate one at a time until the green light flashes and they’re off!!! Launching off of the line and barreling down the track at speeds that many of us will never experience. As they zoom past you, you can feel the power pulse throughout your body. Your insides vibrate and it almost takes your breathe away. You can’t help but to stand up to watch the end of the track to see who got there first and how fast they were.
Now I know that not everyone has had the opportunity to experience a drag race as I have, but I will say that we all have a love for cars in some way or another. If you think back on your childhood, I can almost guarantee that you will have memories that included a car. I can also bet that most of you remember the kind of car, if not the year, make and model of the car that filled those memories.
Why do we love cars? There are so many reason. It’s the feeling of independence that they give us. Especially as a teenager. I could not wait until I was sixteen years old so that I could drive myself and not have to ask my parents to drop me off or take the bus. That independence opened our world to experiences. Experiences that many kids now days are unable to enjoy. Cruising main street on a Friday night. Taking that Sunday drive with your family to the park or the beach. Planning a road trip that lead you to tent camping. Driving down a backroad with the windows down and the radio turned up taking in all the breathtaking beauty that our world provides. It’s memories like these that give our cars a special place in our hearts.
This month as your are thinking about how to make your loved ones get all the feels from you, take a moment to consider the significant roll our cars play in our daily lives. It’s important to give your car, or truck, or hybrid, or electric car a little love at times. I mean, why not? That car is carrying the most precious cargo, your family, friends, loved ones and YOU! So during this month of love, take a moment to check the basics on your car, or at least get it scheduled with your automotive professional. Your car will LOVE you for it!