“I always wanted one of these”
“My family had one like that”
“My mom drove one”
“That one was my first”
“My friend rebuilt one like that”
“My best friend’s father had one”
“You may have been conceived in something like this”
All quotes I either said, heard, or overheard at a recent car show.
I grew up loving cars. As a kid I couldn’t wait to own one, work on one, and most of all, drive one. I knew all the makes and models and dreamed of the ones I would someday drive. And to this day, I love meandering around a car show — a place that I thought was about cars.
There are lots of things that connect us to a place, time, and group of people. A special meal that binds a family, a song that evokes a time and place, or a book that was read, shared, and discussed among friends. But in American culture there is something unique and special about the automobile, especially for those of us who grew up in suburbia in the last half of the 20th century. From the old family jalopy to the sports car of our dreams, seeing those cars again brings back memories of rides to school, family trips, cruising with friends, nervous dates, and fathers and sons working together. Memories of good times and bad and of good deeds, mayhem, and mischief.
Manchester hosts a massive car show on the Saturday of Labor Day weekend every year. Owners bring their cars from all over New Hampshire and Massachusetts to show and share. Downtown streets are closed off, and over 1,000 vehicles are displayed. They are all fascinating to see, but the best are the ones that bring back connections and memories.
In my morning at the car show, I felt a connection to family and friends through seeing everything from a ’67 Cougar and ’67 Mustang to a Country Squire Wagon, a Silverado pickup truck, and the Dukes of Hazzard’s “General Lee.” I started texting and sending pictures to people I hadn’t talked to in quite a while, rekindling connections and sharing memories. And as I paused, looked around, and listened, I realized I was not the only one. Everyone around me was chatting, taking photos, telling stories, or simply standing and staring with a faraway look, lost in a memory.
And that’s when I realized that a car show is not about cars — it’s about people. I was swapping stories with car owners and complete strangers in front of me and texting people thousands of miles away. I was making new friends and connecting with old ones, and so was everyone else.
I’ve enjoyed many car shows over the years, and I always thought they were about cars. With the wisdom of age, I realize it’s much deeper than those beautiful hunks of metal, plastic, and rubber.
The next time there’s a car show nearby – go! Even if you’re not a “car guy” or “car gal,” go. Pay attention to your reaction to the cars. Talk to some total strangers. Share some memories. Text pictures to an old friend. Listen to the conversations around you and soak in the shared human experience. It’s much deeper than the cars.
