On their 1978 debut album, Molly Hatchet, the late Danny Joe Brown tells a story many of us can empathize with in Dreams I’ll Never See. In what stands as an outstanding reimaging of the original work from the Allman Brothers, Brown’s words illustrate a person fighting a deep depression and, when looking for answers from a higher vantage point, finds the world, be it literal or figurative, has gone mad.
Despite this bleak outlook, we might feel inclined to root for the person Brown is singing about amidst the sadness and chaos. Although the dreams indicated are an admitted stumbling point, they serve as a reminder of a once great love and inspiration for, as Brown sings, to “put on a new face” and “get back in the race.”
Given Brown’s many health struggles and that every band member who recorded that song has since died, the lyrics now carry a unique trifecta of despair, optimism, and urgency.
Despair in the sense that if you saw Molly Hatchet or experienced any of the other incredible bands of similar ilk back in the day, those times, places, events, and maybe even people from that era are no longer here. The latter is the most sobering aspect of any long life well lived. The more time passes, the older we get, and the more likely we will lose the people we cherish (“I got dreams, I’ve got my dreams, to remember the love we had”).
Yet, the optimism comes as we have every opportunity to create new memories with the people we love. Doing so is, as Brown sings in Dreams I’ll Never See, putting on that new face and getting back in the race. While we can feed our existing memories a helping of good vibes through archival concert footage on YouTube, we can create new moments that will become our next fond memories. The urgency is the reality of limited time, so the sooner we get started, the better.
If you are a car person, here are a few ways to make some dreams come true.
Drive
Although the proverbial summer road trip comes to mind, we don’t always need a destination or a reason, and we don’t need something fast.
Let’s take the “smoke ’em if you got ’em” approach. If you have a sporty convertible, muscle car, or high-performance SUV, then by all means, get that baby on the road. If not, who cares? The vehicle you own will do just fine, even if it’s nothing special.
Driving in this regard is about getting out for a while, away from the endless spreadsheets, all-hands meetings, KPI reports, and the like. It’s a Saturday afternoon or a random weeknight. Once inside your vehicle, it’s a career-free zone. You are with your significant other on a hot date, even if you have kids or grandkids. This drive is about being young again.
It can be a quick trip to your favorite restaurant or that delightful coffee and ice cream spot. Drive-in movies are always a winner.
Cruise through town and enjoy the lights of the city. Roll the windows down and open the sunroof (smoke ’em if you got ’em). Enjoy each other, and don’t regret taking the time off to have this drive. The kids are fine, and work can wait.
Dress up nice and go for a drive, even if it’s just out to dinner and coffee. Take a selfie to remember the occasion, but resist the urge to check e-mail or social media.
Attend a Car Show or Museum
If you live in or near Detroit, Chicago, New York, or Los Angeles, you can attend one of the annual major auto shows there. Likewise, there are a number of international and regional auto shows that happen annually across the United States. Over the years, our work with Automoblog has sent us to the Jacksonville, Seattle, Memphis, and San Diego international auto shows and the Quad City Regional Auto Show.
If you are a local, you can make a day out of the auto show, which often includes good food, live music, and fun ride-and-drive experiences like EV test tracks, Camp Jeep, or Bronco Mountain. Conversely, if you are traveling in from out of the area, you can make a weekend out of the auto show and also see some other sites around those respective cities.
An upcoming auto show is an excellent excuse for blocking time off the calendar. There is no right or wrong auto show to attend. Pick the one you think looks the most enjoyable and is most reasonable to travel to. Don’t overthink it. Enjoy the cars and enjoy the time with your family.
Along with those arena and exhibition center shows is the opportunity to walk along main street at a local gathering. One of our favorites in the Detroit area is the annual car show organized by the Allen Park Downtown Development Authority. Show organizers block off Allen Road as cars and trucks of every type line street. There is music and prizes. Many bring lawn chairs and enjoy each other’s company as the summer sun goes down.
Given that Allen Park is one of Detroit’s industrious and resilient “Downriver” communities, attendees can always expect a good showing of Grand Nationals, Corvettes, Mustangs, and Firebirds. The like-new El Camino and 1990s-era Bronco are stashed between the classic Detroit iron. Ratrods have been known to make an appearance.
The annual car show organized by the Allen Park Downtown Development Authority is one of our favorite summer events. Located in Wayne County, Michigan, Allen Park is often considered the jewel of Downriver, with the town adopting the slogan “Retro Feel, Timeless Appeal.” While not everyone in the area embraces the term, communities south of Detroit (i.e., the Detroit River) are considered Downriver. Flat Rock is among the most famous Downriver communities, as the Ford Mustang is built there.
Local shows like this provide a rare opportunity to see these vehicles up close, to take pictures, and, best of all, talk with the people who own them. Find your version of our Allen Park show and mark it on your calendar. Take the night off work and make it a point to go, be it with your family or a group of friends. If you are on a diet, you get a pass for the car show. Enjoy whatever you want to eat for the night.
Museums are another way to indulge in the automotive hobby. We are admittedly lucky in Detroit between the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation, Pontiac Transportation Museum, Ypsilanti Automotive Heritage Museum, and the Automotive Hall of Fame (among other automotive experiences if you are planning a trip to the Motor City).
We always enjoy taking a Saturday off to visit a place like the Henry Ford. We rarely have a plan other than seeing some of the staples, like the famous Dymaxion House or Heroes of the Sky. We mostly roam and stay present in the moment, sipping a coffee as we go along. We take pictures but ignore our e-mail.
We still want to visit the National Corvette Museum and Petersen Automotive Museum. Perhaps it’s time we take our own advice and schedule a vacation. In any event, taking a day to attend a car show or visit a museum is a surefire way to reignite your love for cars and make a few fond memories in the process.
Share Your Gift
When experience is shared, inspiration is fostered.
There are a good number of automotive industry professionals and car enthusiasts who can recall being in the garage with their older family members. They handed their grandfather a wrench or held the light for their father as they worked under the hood. We’ve had the privilege of meeting and talking with people who have those stories.
If you have a collection of tools, a project car in your garage, and a lifetime of knowledge and experience, jump on the chance to teach and mentor should the opportunity present itself. Data and surveys continue to show that the car hobby is strong among younger generations. And while social media and film play a part in how younger people embrace the hobby, the support and guidance of an older adult is still irreplaceable.
If you work on the corporate side of the automotive industry, look for someone you can mentor. Share with them things you wish you would have known and teach them how to “connect the dots” regarding the industry’s most significant trends, like software-defined cars or electrification. Take them under your wing, catch them if they fall, and lift them up when they succeed.
Many of us automotive professionals and enthusiasts remember what it was like to be young, wishing someone would impart wisdom to us or give us a shot. At the same time, we remember what it was like to be hungry for that knowledge, seeking it out ourselves until we found the correct answer. We operated under the belief our best years were ahead of us. When we teach and mentor, we help someone else believe that very thing.
When we get older, there can be a tendency to believe our best days are behind us. Teaching and mentoring another pushes back against that internal dialogue. We may not be in our prime, but mentoring someone who reminds us a lot of ourselves is enough to say, “Yeah, but I still got it.”
Getting Back In The Race
There really isn’t a right or wrong way to create or experience the points above, nor is this list exhaustive if you are a car enthusiast or automotive industry professional.
What is most important is to remind ourselves that even though the good old days have sailed by, our best years are still ahead—and we can decorate those years with impromptu road trips, car show outings, and teaching the next generation.
Likewise, I will do the same. I will pull myself together, put on a new face, and climb down from the hilltop. Lord, it’s time to get back in this race.
Carl Anthony is the Managing Editor of Automoblog and the host of AutoVision News Radio and AutoSens Insights. As a respected automotive industry thought leader, Carl has appeared on numerous podcasts and radio shows, including Wrench Nation, Cars Yeah, The Car Doctor, and Digital PR Explained, in addition to appearing as a regular contributor on MotorMouth Radio on WHPC 90.3 FM. His work can also be seen and heard 24/7 on the Automoblog YouTube channel.
Original article: Three Ways to Reignite Your Love for Life & Cars, Inspired by Molly Hatchet
