It's so much more than just a car

Earlier this year I went on the trip of a lifetime to New Zealand for school. Although I didn't have a car there myself, it was still something that intrigued me. In New Zealand, they drive on the Left side of the road, and the area in general is so much smaller. There's no way I could see some of the big Buicks fit down some of the streets. They also live on hilly terrain, so use of an e-brake is necessary. I heard a comment once that went along the lines of "they still drive those big cars in North America? I just don't get it" And it made me realize that I drive a big car because it is far more than just a car.

Shortly after I returned home from this trip, my Opa passed away. Along with all the multitude of responsibilities that comes with a death in the family, this means that my Dad got his 1968 Wildcat. When thinking of big cars, this one is definitely up there in size. It's parked next to our 1986 Monte Carlo in the new barn right now and it feels at least two feet longer and twice as wide. So why do we drive big cars? Well, for starters, being a Goalie in hockey means I need a trunk big enough to hold all that equipment, but it's also a comfort thing. We piled far too many people into some of our cars and could still travel comfortably for long distances because there was so much space. Lastly, it's because they're so much more than just cars.

Every time I look or sit in the Wildcat I'm flooded with memories. Going to the park with Oma and Opa, sitting in the middle of the backseat with my brother and cousin and just cruising around with the windows down, driving down the hill and letting the wind rush in. This car has been in the family almost as long as I have, and it hold so many good memories. It's the car my Opa wanted the Pallbearers (his Grandchildren) to drive in at his funeral, and even with the six of us piled in there, in the middle of summer in suit coats with no air conditioning, there was room to move about. So it's not just that we drive big cars, but we drive cars with personalities, we drive cars full of memories and cars that bring us back to a simpler time.

It's so much more than just a car, and the memories it holds will live on forever.