Oh...What Might Have Been

 The family and I climbed aboard our minivan this morning and headed to an event called "Hay Days." It's a chance for the people of our community to gather and enjoy each others's company as well as celebrate the wonderful little town we call home.

Plus, there's a car show.

It's not the biggest car show, but it seems to get bigger every year...this year included. There were many classic American cars, corvettes, trucks, what have you. And they had one Volkswagen Beetle, my favorite car. It was a beautiful car. I took pictures of it as I always do. Every time I see a bug these days it reminds me of my earlier years, back when you could buy a bug for $500 and the bug ran and it was (semi...) reliable transportation.

Too bad those days are gone forever.

I have a picture of my first car. It's a 1965 VW Beetle (we lovingly called "Greenie"...), original 1200cc engine, top speed - 50 m.p.h. unless you drove downhill, or behind an 18-wheeler. 

What if I had kept that car instead of basically giving it away...

Oh, what might have been.

I've thought about this several times over the years. Using the advantages of age, I know keeping that car would have been a terrible idea. Just finding a place to park it would have been a nightmare. Plus, I don't know how long it would take me to get it running and if I did, would I dare drive it anywhere far from my home? 

That car, in the condition at the time I got rid of it, in today's dollars would be worth many thousands of dollars...a far cry from the $500 I originally paid in1982. That sounds great, but I would have paid for that appreciation in other ways. No, my logical mind understands not hanging on to that car was the best decision...

Just my heart doesn't share my brain's reasoning.

Oh, what might have been...I only hope someone took car of Greenie. I'd love to see it at a car show one of these days.

My Son's Selling His First Car...

Remember the first car you ever owned? I do. It's become part of Taylor family lore. It was a 1965 VW Beetle and we named it Greenie. I had the opportunity of owing it twice, once when I bought it as a sophomore in high school, and a second time when I bought it from a junkyard after the guy I sold it to drove it around illegally for a couple of years and left it at a parking spot downtown Salt Lake City. I ended up giving it away to a father and son team who wanted to fix it up. I hope they did revive it, but it could be rotting somewhere in another junkyard. I think about that car all the time.

The car was special, even though it stranded me more times than I can count. It almost got me killed by stalling while crossing busy streets. I never got it above 55 m.p.h. Still, it was my first car. It meant more to me than four tires, an engine, and seats.

My son is selling his 1999 Toyota Camry for $600. It's got high miles, a cracked windshield, and chipped paint. But it's also got tires with good tread (including a full-size spare...), a clean interior, and a cool compartment for your sunglasses. All in all, it's got more pluses than minuses. It's one color and the heater and A/C work.

My son, like me, has reservations about selling. The car has meant employment opportunities for him. He's been able to go to college, go on dates, and have the type of freedom available to a young man with his whole life ahead of him. It means more than four tires, an engine, and seats.

He's going to ask around to see if anyone's interested in it. Then he'll put it on the Facebook Marketplace and KSL cars (a local digital classified website...). If you're interested, let me know. He'll get another one, as did I. I wonder if the cars and vehicles that follow will ever take the place of his first car. I don't think mine ever did.