Richard’s Almanac: The culture of cars

Have you begun to notice that there are things you cannot do as well as you did when you were younger? As a septuagenarian, it seems that I am encountering more and more of these revelations very gradually. 

I have noticed it in all the physical work around the house that I used to find pleasurable and therapeutic. Now I will try to avoid splitting firewood, clipping hedges and carting brush. And painting, which I have always found calming, I just do not have patience with anymore. I cannot deal with the aches and pains that assault my aging body the next day.

I have also found that my desire for tobacco has just about vanished. I just do not seem to want to smoke anymore (and I started smoking Camels when I was 16). It has also become difficult to enjoy a second cocktail.

I guess it’s all about senior citizen metabolism changes.

Another thing that’s very obvious is my inability to stay up late at night. Fatigue now comes shortly after dinner. But that also leads to getting up in the morning when the farmers do. I have had to adjust my reading and writing schedule so a great deal of work gets done in these early hours.

This aging has also become painfully obvious for me in driving and the type of vehicle I drive.

A few years ago, after spending a snowy winter on the Island, I decided to meet the winter head-on and not be intimidated. I bought a two-door Jeep Wrangler. A perfect vehicle, I thought. Room for four (to take the grandkids for rides), a fold down canvas top, relatively good gas mileage, plus always driving in a cute vehicle that made people smile.

I now realize that they were probably smiling because they were not riding in the Jeep.

Mine is very simple with all the amenities and comfort of a buckboard. It has a six-speed manual transmission and a top that takes two adults and an agile kid the better part of an hour to put down. But for the past few years I have enjoyed the challenges and have never taken it on extra long rides. It has been a delight, but I now have to concede that it’s a young person’s vehicle.

I was recently bounced around during a 150-mile trip and began thinking about a smoother replacement. On my way home, I stopped by a car dealer who had an attractive black Mustang convertible out front. It said it was a 2014 with 30,000 miles. The Jeep is a 2013 with the same mileage.

Perhaps a trade could be arranged. So I stopped. The Mustang appeared to be in very good shape with an automatic transmission (I have just become so tired of shifting) and many other amenities.

The salesman looked over my car, spoke to his manager and low and behold I was offered a key swap. No cash involved — my 2013 Jeep for the 2014 Mustang convertible! Sounded pretty good to me. But I always need time to think things over for a day or two.

When my hesitation became obvious, the manager came out and offered me a $1,000 check to go along with the Mustang. I still needed time, but it made me realize just how popular and cool basic Jeeps are.

Perhaps I could enjoy a more comfortable ride if I had Cadillac seats installed.