As I sit in the shower feeling the warm water hit my body. Taste the man made rain as it enters my mouth, and listen to the soothing sound of the water falling. I think to myself what things in this world give yours senses such a full plate. There are things that this is always true like copulating on a cold winter night with a fire going,and then there are some things that get overlooked.
Driving is the main one that seems to get overlooked. In California it’s a necessity for getting around, so much so that the automobile is no longer a means to escape, but device to take you to your destination. And it gets buried in this definition with the addition of traffic, and asses on the road who don’t give a damn for their fellow man. The sad thing is that a century year old device has become a staple in the modern world and to the lot, lost its roots.
With the thought of rises gas prices, which seem to be high, but still break down to like 20 cents a mile. People don’t want to go for a drive just to drive anymore. There are still driving enthusiasts, but so many want that instant gratification for each one of their senses.
Cruising down a road, bumping down a path or roaring down the freeway all have the same total effect as multiple instant gratifiers…
With the right music, you become one with the road, feeling like you’re in a movie, or really just got that beat in turn with each bump. Even without music, the sounds of the engine purring and nature in harmony make its own brand of music. You smell the exhaust, the fuel, the fresh air as it flows on by. Acceleration is felt as you travel over every bump or pass a vehicle. As you look down the road, it’s possibilities of turns, and hairpins, or perhaps the ocean and a sunset in the distance. Taste is the trickiest of all, because it’s completely dependent of where you are. With that fresh air passing by you taste the moisture in the air, or the dust of that dirty road. Those smells you have effect that taste and become one. If it all goes right and you don’t isolate yourself from your vehicle all is well.
What happened is that in simpler times, people understood their machines and were one with them. There was a bond with their mechanical brethren, and it made moments special as the could do things not humanly possible. Now people just use their cars to get from A to B, no cares about what makes them tick, and in certain cases no actual contact with the road. They are isolated in their temperature controlled cockpit. Music isn’t about the road as much as it is pop culture. And instead of enjoying the scenery there is talking on the phone and trying to solve that sudoku.
Driving is a wonderful experience and should be enjoyed for that. It’s simple and the effort in getting there is just as entertaining and special as your destination. You may be moving fast in a car, but if you take the time to slow down it can be quite breath taking. Okay I am a bit jaded about this. I come from a long line of drivers, so an hour here and there is easy. But at the same time the things you take in from the road are so unique and always changing. There is also that a drive in the right vehicle can mean the difference in love of life or death. What connects you to the road should be as special and unique for you as everything else in your life. It is an appendage and should be treated as the extension of yourself that it is. So enjoy that trip, or cruise in that part of you that everyone else gets to see. Sit back relax, and enjoy your drive because it is special and not just something with wheels.