Great to see you enjoying it !!!!
Thanks much, it sure is!
Oh man, that reminds me of what happened after I finally had gotten it to the store the other day after all the escapades with the clutch...
sorry, I got another little story to tell.
EPILOGUE - CHAPTER II
When I got it to the store that day, I took it by the gas pumps first, then went to the grocery store next door.
As you all know, when you take one of these old Mopars out, folks tend to want to stop and chat here and there and they pay compliments, tell anecdotes and so forth. It's just something you have to learn is going to happen, even if you find yourself in a hurry or don't really feel up to it - like I was at that point.
I was dirty, hot, sweaty, burnt up and exhausted, but I managed to chat with the few folks who stopped and gave a thankful smile to each.
I got in and out of the store and was headed back out to the GTX to go home finally, walking a ways out to it where I had parked it out past the other cars
when I caught sight of an elderly couple off to my left, parked across the aisle from her.
I thought
"oh man, I'm so tired and not really presentable in public. I hope they don't want to chat."
Well, you know better than that - and I did, too. I felt a little ashamed of myself for thinking it, too, but man I was just
done after the whole ordeal, you know?
Sure enough, the gentleman meekly approached me at an intercept angle as I got close to the GTX, smiling weakly.
His wife looked pensive, like she was used to him doing such things and sort of wishing he wouldn't - but then, a lot of us know that look in our spouses.
I finally told myself to be polite and behave myself and show respect like I'm supposed to.
I looked at him and said something like "you like that old car?" with a smirk.
He grins big and says "yes sir, very much so!"
I acted like the car wasn't mine and retorted with some sort of wisecrack like "I wouldn't have that thing if you paid me!"
I
instantly regretted saying that. It was a stupid, uncaring thing to say, even in jest...
I thought "
he doesn't know what all you've been through today, dumbass. Your mama taught you better than that, Ed. Straighten up!"
I quickly confessed the GTX was in fact mine and his grin returned to his face. He took my hand and shook it and we chatted some. I thanked him for his compliments and so forth, but I kept noticing his wife's expression wasn't matching his. She looked a little sad, forlorn....
so I tried to include her in our conversation, too.
He wanders off to fetch a shopping buggy and she then thanks me for taking the time to chat with her husband.
As it turned out, some 20+ years ago he had bought an old Mopar to fix up, too. He was doing it with his then son as sort of a project for both of them to get together a little more often and share in, a bonding thing.
...and then their son had gotten cancer, the terminal kind, and had passed away.
The car never got done and languished in their garage for a few years. The father never touched it again and eventually she talked him into selling the project just to get it out of sight finally.
My heart sank. I was flummoxed....
I felt so ashamed that I had tried to get past them on the way to the car before. I was just so tired, hot and nasty...
I hadn't realized at first that this was one of those moments, but I caught on pretty quick, as if mama was telling me from above to show respect like I was raised and to stop being so self-centered.
I apologized to the elderly lady for my behavior and for the first time, she too managed a weak smile.
She said "no no, thank you for taking a moment to speak with him. Your car reminded him of that old project and you've made his day now by taking a moment to chat."
I heard my mama's voice in hers right then, no joke.
Suddenly, it didn't matter how worn out I felt or how nasty dirty or hot or whatever.
You know how God puts you exactly where you need to be sometimes?
Yeah, it was like that.
Question was - was I put there for the benefit of brightening up the elderly gentlemens' day or my own?
The answer was both, methinks.
