Alba Avis

noreply@blogger.com (57) — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 08:11:00 +0000

Dear Friends or Passersby,

This is the story of Alba Avis. The story of a car, my car to be exact. This is the 'coming-of-age' story of a young man....you know....coming of age. Well, we will just let the story speak for itself.

This was a time where families with only one car would sometimes suffer scheduling conflicts regarding anyone's transportation needs at anyone given time. There was talks around the house of new car possibilities from this family member, or that friend of a friend. After some time, one day there she was. The girl. The "Bird". For some time she became a ride to and from work everyday. Sitting in traffic, having to bear the dull morning discussions of whatever the small talk happened to be. Poor girl. Then for, I don't remember what reason, she sat. She sat in the driveway for at least a year or so. Like a dog sitting out in the rain, looking inside from the back window. You know something? She never made a sound, not a whimper. Nothing metaphorically close to a tire getting low, she just didn't show any signs of giving up, like everyone else did on her. Poor, poor girl.

In the days of her sitting contently there on the driveway, I'd catch myself looking at her more and more differently. As if little by little, I began to see her for the first time. I began to find myself looking at her very fondly. The way the tail-lights looked, all kinds of serious horizontal lights stretching the whole rear of the car. Long and solid bricks of red and amber. The spoiler right above it, this was her 'tramp stamp'. A low-profile wing that said all she wanted to do was have fun. She way she sits, this ready-to-go stance. Honestly, there's just something just a little old school about it, and that in itself makes it a little extra cool.

The time finally came for me to move out, and I knew what I wanted to be my car. Arrangements where made, phones rang, insurance's offices were called; it was a big ordeal. But after some time, and of course money. She was mine. Mine to drive, mine to take care of, mine to look at, and wash. I began driving her on a regular to and from work basis...in fact, I still am. There's something special about driving her around. There's just something different in the way it feels, and sounds, and rides, than anything else I've ever been in. Please understand, I'm not saying better, or worse than anything else I've ever driven; Just different. And I like that. I mean honestly, there have been plenty of times where you'll catch something good on the radio, sailing at 65 or 70, smooth traffic, nice weather, and it kinda hits you. 'I'm in a Firebird....and yeah...I'm happy about that'.

Friends, you may find this a bit silly to read a non-sense paragraph about cheesey metaphors that don't really work, but I promise there's a twisted logic and more importantly a point to this. Member when I said "coming-of-age"? I've learned ladies and gentlemen; You have to find a way to be happy with what you already have, or else you'll never be happy with the things you want, after you get them. You know, I didn't like her at first. Thought she was too white, too old, and was in denial about being a 90's car and not an 80's car. The turn around was she's been good to me, and she's never really let me down. And thank god I have something with some sort of personality, something with a history behind it. I don't know what I'd do if I had something utterly dull like say...any Ford from '89 to '04. I couldn't have the strength to climb into something like that after say a bad day at work, or even just bad news. For the love of automobile holiness, it's like looking into the soul of the emotion 'Depression'; There's just cold poorly-textured plastics looking back at you...if you'd want to even call it "looking".

So here it is. A late Sunday night, a little coffee and a cigarette. A clear view of where she's parked helps to remind me what she's worth versus what she means to me. That's the end of the tunnel everyone, that's the end of the ride. She really means something to me. To the point where she inspired me to setup a blog stop all about my twisted-logic and heavily opinion based ideas and thoughts about cars, and transportations.

Welcome to the most undesirable place on the internet web.