A SOFT SPOT
There was a time when the automobile manufacturers in Detroit weren’t known as the “Big Three” – It was the “Big Four”, back before American Motors went belly up. I have a soft spot for American Motors products. Not so much for the Pacer or Gremlin, although I didn’t mind cruising my big brother’s Gremlin when I was fifteen. My soft spot is due to the metallic green ’72 Javelin. It was my mom’s car. My parents picked it up second or third hand in 1975.
I was in middle school, so it was an impressionable time in my life. Once that old American Motors car’s title got transferred into my parent’s name, its days on easy street were over with.
My dad piled the miles on the Javelin when he was working out of town for a couple of years. When he was in town on the weekends my brothers piled more hard miles on the V-8 powered Javelin.
One fine evening my brother Bobby was pushing the Javelin when he happened upon a city cop. When the flashing lights came on, since he already had max points on his driver’s license, he fled. The cops didn’t want to wreck their squad car jumping dips in the little lake town. Bobby got away, but so did the front shocks, right through the top of the Javelin’s front fenders.
A short time later after some repairs, he got in a wreck with another vehicle. With only liability insurance to cover the other people, the Javelin got a long rare break while my parents saved enough money to get the Javelin fixed, again.
Once the mended Javelin was back on the road, it made the move to Phoenix, but not too many miles more. The hard miles caught up with the Javelin’s engine and it gave up the ghost. My brother rebuilt the engine in ’77, but one of the rings never did seat properly.
About a year later my dad surprised my mom with a new Buick and we sold the old Javelin to one of my best friends that lived next door to us. By then, I had already bought my own first car.
My buddy was following me in my mom’s old Javelin around a ninety-degree corner at sixty miles an hour. I made it in my Mercury Cyclone. He didn’t. He stacked up the Javelin again.
The Javelin after paint and skin tight 501’s and a winter flannel
Not long after I got rear ended sitting at a traffic light and sold the beat up Javelin.
I have a lot of memories with that old car, but when I see a Javelin I don’t think about the wrecks or mishaps. The first thing that comes to mind is my mom… then Neil Diamond… then her driving me before I could drive as we listened to her eight track.
I wonder what things you and I were a part of that born a soft spot in others.
I loved that car because my mom did.
Sunday, June 11, 2017 @ 7:36 am
I did not expect your last line to be “I loved that car because my mom did”. Good writing brother. There is a sweetness to those memories we have of our Mom’s. When ever I listen to old time country as I call it, Hank Williams, Ernst Tubbs, etc., I think of Mom and I listening to the Grand Old Opry on Friday and Sat nights, singing along with them. I sure do miss my Mom…especially when I hear those old songs. If I am not careful I can dwell on memories of my Dad ruining those sweet times with Mom. God continues to remind me to think on those things that are pure and lovely. So I play those old songs a lot, sing them to myself so the sweet memories will flow. “I got a feeling called the blues since my baby said goodbye. And I don’t know what to do, all I do is sit and cry”. Yep they bring good memories.
Sunday, June 11, 2017 @ 8:15 am
There are so many things we love just because someone we love loved those things. This is a beautiful story, Floyd. It’s equally special when someone loves the things we love, just because they love us. God is so good to put this in us. Thanks for sharing about the Javelin. I remember friends who had them when we were in high school. It’s been a few years. 🙂
Sunday, June 11, 2017 @ 1:38 pm
I have a lot of memories. One of mine is sitting in the back seat of our ’60 Falcon wagon as my dad taught my driving-challenged mother how to drive a stick shift on the column. I’ve not been right since then in the head. LOL
Sunday, June 11, 2017 @ 5:38 pm
Ah, a good writer leaves the punchline till last w/ much food for thought. Admittedly, I don’t know a lot about cars, but I do remember and old Studebaker, atop which my father strapped a toboggan–the latter being the mode of transportation I preferred as we flew threw the air over the “humps” of Suicide Hill. I loved the toboggan because Daddy did. In later years, I loved his VW bug. I loved singing because Daddy did. I loved French because Daddy did. And I think about God. God loves each individual, so will I love others, no restrictions, because my Heavenly Daddy does? Great food for thought, Floyd!
Love
Lynn
Sunday, June 11, 2017 @ 5:40 pm
oops on all my typos, Floyd! I knew I should have ck’d! Ugh. 🙂
Sunday, June 11, 2017 @ 7:02 pm
Looks like a neat car, Floyd! I have my dad’s old wooden breadboard. One side has been worn so smooth it’s as soft as a baby’s bottom. I still use it when I’m rolling out the dough, which isn’t often. I don’t get sentimentally attached to many things, but it’s safe to say his breadboard is definitely on that list! Have a blessed week, brother!
Monday, June 12, 2017 @ 2:40 am
Great writing, Floyd. I can’t say I have much attachment or memories associated with physical things, but let certain songs or hymns from my past be played or sung and I am transported faster to the past quicker than Marty McFly!
Monday, June 12, 2017 @ 9:33 am
Wow. I’m reading this and thinking “If this Javelin could talk, it might have some very interesting stories to tell within that vehicle.” That sums up your message for me..the car can really take a beating and go and on. I loved it when after you bought your own car, you bought back the Javelin! Oh, those great memories in the car – you wrote about them so well. Love it. Are you mom’s favorite? I bet! hahaha.
Monday, June 12, 2017 @ 12:16 pm
Loving just because. That old Javelin was part of the family and I can understand buying it back, just like Jesus did for us by buying us back from the old enemy. Growing up, we always had a second (or third) hand car and usually it was a Chevrolet or a Ford. Buying a car from the big 3 (or 4) was considered wisdom by my Dad. I learned to drive in Dad’s old Chevy. He took me to the Big parking lot at the Safeway distribution center where he switched box cars, and taught me to use the stick shift. I was never allowed to use the family car, but my sister and I once did a joy ride around our city block. Dad was out front waving for us to pull into the garage and return the car. What we love in this old world will certainly leave an impression on those of our family that love us. Another awesome post my friend. Love your writing.
Monday, June 12, 2017 @ 2:22 pm
FYI: You may have heard this story – – – about Henry Ford. He believed in the impossible being possible.
At one point, he assembled his team of engineers and tasked them with creating the first V-8 engine. The engineers all agreed that it would be impossible to design an engine with 8 cylinders cast in one block. Ford’s reply was “Produce it anyway.” His team replied by saying “But, it’s impossible!” Ford said, “Do it anyway – stay on it until it’s done, no matter how much time it takes.” The engineers worked on the new design for six months and had no luck. They worked another six months, and still no luck. They went back to Ford and again pleaded with him to understand that this task was impossible. His answer was to stay on the job. He told them that he would have the V-8 engine, and he instructed them to get back to work. Finally, after years of studying, working, creating and testing, the engineers discovered how to produce Ford’s now famous V-8 engine.
Tuesday, June 13, 2017 @ 8:05 pm
What a neat story, Floyd! I remember the Gremlins….my Daddy had a green one with a white stripe down the middle. He taught me to drive in that car, and he and I used to drive to a shopping center at night, after it closed, and do “donuts” in the snow-covered parking lot. I guess I loved that car because he did, now that you worded it that way. Boy, I sure miss him and Mom.
Thursday, June 15, 2017 @ 12:56 pm
Amazing how “things” become a part of us (and I mean that in a good way). They carry with them memories of love or any number of emotions. Talking about cars, I remember there was always much excitement as kids when mom and dad would get a new (or “new”) car and they’d come home, we’d take the first ride and play with all the buttons or knobs we could get our hands on. Fun times, good memories. Thanks Floyd. 🙂