In 1896, the Barnum and Bailey circus displayed an automobile as its major curiosity. This curiosity has become so much a part my life, that it is difficult to imagine getting along without it. Over the years the automobile has been a good friend, sheltering me from the elements, allowing me to get away from the mainstream of traffic. It has provided independence, freedom, and the opportunity for experiences that have awakened in me a variety of moods and emotions.
The first car important in my life was my fathers Model " T" Ford. On Sundays he would drive the family to the movies, if the car started. Dad would be in the front of the car turning the crank, while the rest of us silently prayed. It was a rare treat to ride in an automobile.
We walked to school, church and the grocery store. If we needed to shop at a department store, we walked a mile to the bus stop and flagged down the Greyhound bus headed for Seattle.
Learning to drive was especially challenging. Dad used the letter "H" to show me how to shift gears. When he was convinced that I understood the analogy, he gave me the car keys and let me drive solo, up and down Springbrook road.
In my early days of driving , I had several incidents that caused me extreme embarrassment.
I was driving up a very steep hill when the timing chain broke.The only direction possible was down. Without power steering it was difficult to control the direction. The problem was compounded by a passenger who felt the need to scream out directions. Although I avoided going over a cliff and managed to arrive safely at the bottom of the hill, I had turned the steering wheel in the opposite direction and landed in someone's garden. They were kind enough to allow my car a parking place until morning.
It wasn't necessary for me to leave home to have an embarrassing moment. I was backing out of the driveway and neglected to notice a log. I backed over it and high-centered the car. It was painful to show the tow-truck driver the problem.. He was amused.
This was my second problem backing up. The first happened when I backed out of the driveway without realizing that Joe had hooked the battery to the charger. I wondered why he was jumping up and down frantically waving his arms.
There have been times when I was the innocent victim. While driving down the Benson Highway towards Renton, the truck in front of me lost its spare tire. I honked, trying but failing to get the drivers attention. In the meantime, the tire raced towards me. Since there were cars in every lane, I was unable to avoid it. The tire rolled under the car, wedged itself into the fender well in an upright position, rendering the car immovable. A group of men who were doing some landscaping nearby, came to my aid. When they came to the open window, I said, "Whatever you're thinking, you're right." They lifting the car to free the runaway tire. I was grateful and happy, even though they had the same expression on their faces that my husband has when he thinks a situation could have been avoided.
When our sons became active in sports, my driving schedule became hectic. By this time I was an experienced driver but had navigational problems. The car was always filled with children without rides. Everyone loved to ride with Mrs MacKenzie because she did all those neat things like getting lost, locking the keys in the car and forgetting her son in the park.
Yes, I forgot my child once ( he says twice) and that was more than enough. John still reminds me of the time I had so many ballplayers in the car that I forgot him. I was half way around the block before I noticed he was missing. I can still picture him patiently waiting for his mom. After that incident I took roll. Sorry John.
When our sons were old enough to drive and had saved enough money to buy a car, our property resembled a used car lot. Since my husband and sons did their own car repairs, every vehicle that still had a useful part was saved. Every so often they would get rid of the deadbeats.
It was wonderful to see the grass again. We had an old VW that we sold to a man for parts. He paid for the car and said he would haul it away in a few days. It was seven years before he returned.
The only new car that has ever graced our garage is an English Cobra built by our son, Mike.
Seeing all the work and skill involved caused me to respect his interest and appreciate his talent. That being said, it is now in our field in a trailer waiting for Mike to decide his next action. He has the record now, beating out the man with the VW by about seven years.
One of the fears of every driver is getting a ticket. I received one of those evil pieces of paper for driving too slow. The roads were covered with black ice and there was very little traffic. Because of these factors I felt the ticket was not justified. I decided to go to court. I was frightened yet determined as I entered the courtroom. A young lawyer was the prosecuting attorney. I had newspaper clippings with photographs of the black ice, and warnings in bold print of the driving hazards. After hearing my testimony the lawyer threw his arms in the air, in complete frustration. The judge ruled in my favor resulting in my complete happiness.
Many of the happiest moments of my life have involved the automobile. Moments I cherish include getting to know my husband, driving away together after our wedding, traveling home from the hospital with our new born children, long drives with my husband and our many camping trips.
Because of my friendship with the automobile, I worry about its future. Efforts are being made to control emissions, but the obsession of people with cars is a greater problem.
Car pooling needs to be accepted as a way of life. Support is needed for a rail system, underground transit, whatever the experts decide is best. We may have to surrender some of our independence. If we don't face this dilemma, we may find ourselves with no space to drive, victims of a gigantic grid-lock. Perhaps the automobile will again become a "curiosity" seen only in museums.
