Hey, been there done that. If you think the last 53 went by, just
imagine the speed of light - that's the next 26.5, after which
there is a major paradigm shift.
Mike
B. 47
AN5 10426
----- Original Message -----
From James Algar <algar at smartlink.net>
To: <spridgets@autox.team.net>
Sent: February 26, 2000 3:42 PM
Subject: Feeling old?
> I just have to share this with the list...but be warned; for
those of us
> in a certain demographic, this will be hard to take.
>
> With my wife's car in the shop, she's been driving mine, so my
'69
> Sprite has once again become my daily driver, after a looong
time hidden
> in the garage (so it's not exactly been a common sight on the
streets of
> my neighborhood.)
>
> (A little background here: I bought the car brand-new in 1969.
The car
> was new, I was young - 22 years old - and the world was at my
feet, with
> all things possible. Enter the millennium, so doing the math
will tell
> you that I'm now a 53-year-old driving a 31-year-old car.)
>
> Back to my story. As I was pulling out of my cul-de-sac, I
noticed a
> group of the neighbors from the next block over gathered across
the
> street..you know, just hanging out. They were all ages; kids,
teens, and
> a couple of suburban moms in their thirties. Suddenly, a strange
thing
> happens: they're smiling, and pointing at me, and nodding their
heads
> with big grins and...waving? Yes, waving! I wave back without
thinking
> and continue on down the street with all the speed that 1275cc
can
> muster.
>
> And then it hits me...light a bolt of lightning...like a ton of
> bricks...like a knot of ice in my stomach. It's happened: I've
> become...I've become...(I can't say this)...THE OLD GUY DOWN THE
STREET
> WITH THE FUNNY OLD CAR!
>
> Remember? Sure you do; we all had one living somewhere near us
when we
> were growing up. For my generation, it was some nice old
harmless guy
> who'd kept that old Model T or Model A, and could be seen in his
> driveway every once in a while washing it, or even more rarely
might be
> spotted *driving* it!
>
> But now...AAAAAAARRGGGHHHH...I'm HIM!
>
> I gotta go now...I need a stiff drink. And none of your
frou-frou yuppie
> drinks, bartender; just make it a gin and tonic. In fact...make
it a
> double.
>
> Jim Algar (born 1947)
> '69 Sprite Mk.IV (built 12-68)
> Tempus fugit
>
>
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